


Renegades, Rebels and Rogues

by idra



Series: Renegades, Rebels, and Rogues [1]
Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Background Relationships, Multi, original characters in later chapters, other characters not listed, period appropriate violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 11:28:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 45,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7638319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idra/pseuds/idra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roger, Tommy, and Marat are headed for the Old West.  Andy and Mardy are living in a small town in Texas.  Things get more complicated when they meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Go West, Young Men

**Author's Note:**

> First off, welcome to the first long(ish) fic that I ever wrote. It was originally written and posted on lj in 2005/2006. I'm trying to edit as I post, but if you spot any typos or grammatical stuff wrong, please give me a heads up. As for the tags, if come across anything, and I do mean anything, triggery, pls let me know so I can give it the appropriate tags.
> 
> This takes place in roughly the early 1860s. I tried to be historically accurate (aside from, ya know, the gay romance stuff) but I'm not perfect and there are likely a lot of mistakes. 
> 
> All that said, enjoy.

They stepped on board a train, excited to be heading west. Tommy Haas looked over at his best friend, Roger Federer and they shared an ecstatic smile. Speaking in German, Roger asked, "Do you think we'll get to meet any real live cowboys?" 

"I would suppose so," Tommy replied in English as a gentle reminder, smiling at the younger man's exuberance. While there was only three years difference in their ages, sometimes -- like now -- it was obvious which is the younger. Tommy spotted their other traveling companion and headed for him. He and Roger took the seats their Russian friend had saved and he smiled. "Marat, how did you find Roger a window seat?" 

"It wasn't easy," Marat Safin replied, smiling at how excited Roger was. At nineteen, Marat was only a year older than the Swiss and two years younger than Tommy. There were times when both he and Tommy felt twenty years older. 

He smiled at the fatherly attention Tommy gave to the Swiss and shifted slightly. He too was looking forward to the adventure of the American Wild West. He'd heard stories in New York, as had Tommy and Roger. In fact, they'd heard many of the same stories together. Stories of cowboys and Indians and freedom. 

Roger bounced in his seat as the train started to pull away from the station. He knew his exuberance sometimes got on Tommy and Marat's nerves, but they were good at calming each other down. Roger snickered at that thought. Neither of the older boys thought he knew -- they treated him like he was eight instead of eighteen sometimes, he thought resentfully -- but he heard them groaning and moaning together. He'd even spied on them once to see why they were making such strange noises. He hadn't known until that moment that men could have sex like a man and a woman... but there they had been. Tommy had been beneath Marat, but from Roger's angle, he could see Tommy's dick inside of the big Russian. He'd nearly laughed and almost got caught a couple of times, but he managed to escape their notice. 

However, ever since that time, he'd looked at men differently. He'd personally never been attracted to women, though back home in Switzerland, he'd often pretended with the few friends his family had allowed him. 

But now they were in the land of the free and they could do whatever they wanted once they reached their destination. He glanced over at Tommy who was reading a book. "What are you doing?" he asked in German. He wasn't quite ready to give up his native language though he knew he'd have to speak English once they reached the place they were going to.... some place called Texas. 

"Reading. What does it look like?" Tommy asked, in English, trying again to remind Roger gently to stop speaking their native language. 

"Well, I know that. What are you reading, Hasi?" Roger said, finally speaking English. Well, except for Tommy's nickname, which he loved to tease Tommy with. 

Tommy rolled his eyes and looked up to see Marat watching them. He stuck his tongue out at the Russian and turned to Roger. "I am reading one of my medical books. I want to be up on all the new information before we get to this town." 

"What kind of name is Bluebonnet anyhow?" Roger asked, taking Tommy's book and tucking it in his bag. 

Chuckling, Tommy wrapped his arm around Roger's shoulders and Roger nuzzled against his best friend. "The town is named after a flower that supposedly only grows in Texas." 

"And we're going to have a house... a real house again?" 

"Yes. You, Marat and I will have a real house again. We'll live together... you'll... find something to do with your days, maybe work with animals since you love them so much. I'll be the town doctor, Marat has been hired as the blacksmith. We'll make a new life and not have to live in fear of being found by our families." 

"I like this plan." 

"As do I, Liebling, as do I," Tommy said as he kissed Roger's forehead. He smiled at Marat who smiled back. "Happily ever after, just like the fairy tales."


	2. The Infamous Sheriff Roddick

"Andy Roddick, you fucking bastard. Come out!" 

Sheriff Andy Roddick glanced across the bar at his best friend and the town's only bar's owner. "What do you think, Fishy? Should I go out there and draw down with this one?" 

"He sounds determined." Mardy Fish grinned and shook his head as he wiped down the bar. "I would prefer you head out there before he comes in here and breaks up my bar. I can't afford to keep replacing the glass in here." 

"Yeah yeah. Some friend you are." Andy winked and grabbed his hat, settling it on his head. "I'll settle my tab when I'm done with this one." 

Mardy nodded and chuckled as the saloon girls all ran to the window to watch the great Andy Roddick draw down on yet another outlaw. Mardy tilted his head and smiled as he watched Andy try to talk the outlaw down. He rolled his eyes and went back to wiping down the bar. Andy would win. He always did. At eighteen years old, Andy was the youngest sheriff in Texas, but that didn't stop him from having a reputation as the meanest son of a bitch in the West. Mardy himself was only eighteen, but he wasn't known nearly as well. In fact, outside of Bluebonnet, he wasn't known at all. 

A few minutes later, two shots rang out and one of the saloon girls screamed. Mardy sent her a look that had her hiding behind the other girls. He almost laughed at that. He'd never once hit any of the girls and had, in fact, shot several men who had thought they had the right to hit any of his girls. 

Andy walked back in, dusting off his hat. "Bastard shot my hat," he announced approaching the bar.

"Did you kill him or just wound him?" Mardy asked, setting a glass of whiskey in front of Andy. 

Andy knocked the glass back and chuckled. "Wounded him. Hope that new doc shows up soon, or he'll die." 

"Why would you want him to live?" Andre Agassi asked as he sat down at the bar and gestured for a glass of whiskey. 

Mardy rolled his eyes at the town's shopkeeper, but poured him a glass of whiskey and slid it across the counter top. 

Andy glanced at Andre out of the corner of his eye. "So I can arrest him and throw his ass in jail. Order me a new hat, will ya?" 

Andre nodded and glanced at Andy's hat. "Same thing as usual?" 

"Of course." Andy winked at Mardy and dropped a handful of coins on the counter. "Thanks, Fishy. Hey... do you have a couple of rooms available?" 

"Yeah. Business is slow right now since the mine is closed for the next couple of months. Everyone's off working on the railroad up north." 

"New doc and the new blacksmith are supposed to be coming in on the stage coach. They'll need someplace to stay. Add it to my tab until they start earning money, okay?" 

"Forget it. I'll cover 'em." Mardy waved as Andy headed across the road to his office. He glanced at Andre who was leering at him. "What do you want?" he asked, snarling. 

Andre smirked. "You. I know you whore them girls out, but have you ever thought of whoring yourself out? You'd make better money than all them girls combined." 

Mardy ignored the shiver that skittered down his spine. "Get out of my bar, Agassi." 

Andre smirked and climbed off his stool. "Well, just consider it, _Fishy_ ," he said mockingly. 

Mardy took a few deep breaths and told himself silently that putting a bullet in Andre's back wouldn't be good for business, but the old pervert had come a little too close for comfort. Only Andy knew Mardy's sordid past and Andy would never tell. 

He worked for several hours, cleaning the bar. Business really was slow lately and the girls were just annoying him. He'd considered letting them go, but knew most of them depended on him to keep a roof over their heads. He sighed and went into the back room to grab some more liquor. Nights were his business and he knew that it being a Friday night, he'd be busier than most.


	3. Welcome to Bluebonnet, Texas

Andy had just put his feet up on his desk and was about to take a nap when someone yelled his name. The voice sounded familiar so he dropped his booted feet to the floor and grabbed his hat, heading outside. "Dammit, Lleyton. What the hell do you want?" Andy asked the telegraph clerk. It wasn't that he didn't like Lleyton Hewitt, it was simply that he was tired and he needed a nap. 

"Stage coach is trapped at Rio San Carlos." 

"Trapped in that creek? Whatever will the riders do?" Andy rolled his eyes and swung up on his horse just as Mardy stepped out of the bar. "Hey, Fishy, I'm gonna need some help. Close up for the rest of the day, will ya?" 

He could see his friend debate on whether to earn the night shift's money, or actually help, but he knew what Mardy would choose in the end. He started out, not bothering to wait for Mardy's answer. Mardy would always come through for him, just like he'd been there for his best friend when Mardy had been raped and beaten when he'd worked as a whore in a saloon down in Austin. He'd killed the man who'd dared to touch his best friend and he knew he wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in any other man who dared think they had the right touch Mardy. That is, unless Mardy initiated or wanted it. He knew his friend's preference and shared it. They had never been lovers though, and Andy knew it was because Mardy saw him as a saviour and not as a lover. It was a shame, Andy thought to himself as he heard Mardy riding up alongside him. Mardy was quite beautiful. Any man would be lucky to have him. And if the man who finally got him even had a thought in his head of treating Mardy bad, well... Andy had a pretty six shooter he'd be happy to use on 'em. 

They rode hard and fast to the little creek, known as Rio San Carlos and both men were surprised to see how high and fast the water was running. Four horses stood nearby as four men sat on the carriage in the middle of the river. "Hey there, Sheriff! Mardy!" called out the stage coach driver. 

"Hey there, Pete," Andy yelled back as he nudged his horse forward into the river. He grabbed the reins of two of the horses and watched as Mardy did the same. "What happened here?" 

Mardy, he noticed, was busy ogling the newest townsfolk. Andy raised an eyebrow. Mardy usually didn't check out men -- no matter how beautiful or attractive. He caught sight of the other three men on the carriage with Pete and had to steady himself. "My God," he muttered under his breath. 

Mardy caught his words and chuckled. "Is that the new doc?" he asked in a voice too low to carry over the sound of the rushing water. 

"I don't know." Andy shrugged and pulled the horses through the water. His feet were getting wet and he cursed under his breath. "I just bought these boots, Sampras." 

"I'll pay for new ones for ya, Sheriff. I'm real sorry about this." Pete climbed down to his seat and hooked the horses back up. He turned to his passengers and smiled. "You boys climb on down now. I don't want you falling in the water." 

One of the "boys" -- the most attractive man Andy had ever laid eyes on -- looked terrified at the prospect and clung to the dark-haired one with green eyes. Andy pushed his horse through the water until he was side by side with the coach. "Hello there. I'm Sheriff Andy Roddick. Why don't you come down here and I'll get you to safety?" He held his hand out to the scared one and listened as he prattled on in some foreign language. Of course, Andy reasoned to himself, New Yorkers sounded foreign to him so what did he know. 

After what looked like a much heated debate, the pretty one grabbed Andy's hand. Andy reached up and tugged him down onto his horse, fighting back a laugh as the man's eyes went wide and he clung to Andy. "It's all right, there. I've got you and I ain't gonna let nothing hurt you, okay?" 

He glanced over to see Mardy helping the dark-haired one with green eyes onto the front of his horse and the other dark-haired one onto the back. He nodded in approval and started for the river bank. "What happened, Pete?" he asked, finding himself petting the man in his arms. 

"She started to topple, Andy, I swear to God. I got them boys out of the rig and was about to get into the water to steady the horses when I heard something snap and the horses took off without us. I was gonna get us on the horses, but I couldn't stop 'em." 

"Well, these things happen. I can't believe the creek's this high. We ain't had much rain and the snow was nothing this year, even up in the peaks." Andy grunted when the man in his lap squeezed him tighter. "Relax, little one. It's okay. You're okay." 

He glanced at the river bank and noticed Mardy had dismounted and was talking to the two men, one of whom was a few inches taller than both the others. He smiled at the shy expression on his friend's face. It'd been a long time since Mardy had taken an interest in anything but serving alcohol. With any luck, one of these two would enlighten Mardy. 

Once on dry land, he helped the man in his arms to the ground and slid off his horse. He went to Pete's side and helped the stage coach driver fix the coach up enough to get them into Bluebonnet. "We'll ride with you, just in case." 

"How much behind are you, Pete?" Mardy asked as the two men he was talking too drifted off with the pretty one. Andy frowned at himself. The other two were absolutely stunning as well, but there was something about the one that had clung to him that he couldn't ignore. 

"Well, between this and the Indian raid a couple of days ago, I'd say I'm about two days behind." 

"I thought you were supposed to be here today with these boys." Andy tilted his head back and frowned at Pete. 

"They'd caught an earlier stage in Missouri. They were anxious to get here." 

"Well... they ain't to Bluebonnet yet. Hey," Andy called out to the three men. The pretty one smiled at him and jabbered on in whatever language they were speaking. "One of you the new town doc?" 

The brunette with green eyes stepped forward, nodding. "That would be me. Tommy Haas." 

"Nice to meet you, Doc." Andy shook hands with him and nodded back. "I'm Andy, that's Mardy." 

Tommy's eyes flicked towards Mardy and he smiled slightly. "We... met." He gestured behind himself. "The tall one is Marat Safin. He's the new blacksmith. The other one is Roger... he is... my little brother." 

Andy caught the lie, but accepted it with a nod. "Well, the stage coach may be a bit wet, but at least you won't have to swim to your seats... and it's not much farther to town." 

"Will... well, what I mean to ask is, will we have a place to stay? When I was corresponding with the... well, I guess you; nothing was mentioned about living quarters." 

Andy raised an eyebrow at the formal speech, but nodded. "Mardy here owns the town bar. It doubles as a hotel when needed. He'll give you a couple of rooms until you start making money, then you can look into either renting out the place over your offices or building yourself a house." 

"Tommy?" Roger asked, looking sad. Andy frowned at that. 

"I told you, Roger, we will have a house. It'll just be a while before we can afford it." Tommy smiled at Roger in a way that reminded Andy of the way he looked after Mardy. He grinned and grabbed his horse's reins, swinging up on the beast's back. 

"Sooner, rather than later, I'd wager," he said winking at Roger. "Folks from all around are gonna be lining up to see your brother here. We're in need of a doctor something fierce." 

"You talk funny," Roger said, tilting his head up and smiling. 

Andy swallowed past the sudden ball of lust in his belly and forced himself to smile. "Well now, you talk funny to me, so..." He winked and gestured towards the stage coach. "Let's get going, boys. I've got a town to get back to and Mardy's got to get back to his business." 

Mardy smiled and started towards town at a slow trot. Andy caught up to him easily. "What are you thinking?" he asked the bartender quietly. 

"That you're completely smitten with Roger." 

"That I am." 

"Really?" Mardy grinned and looked back at the stage coach, which was following slowly. 

"Yep. He's quite something, ain't he? They're hiding from something, though." 

Mardy's eyes clouded over and Andy swore under his breath. "Aren't we all, Sheriff?" Mardy goaded his horse into a run and Andy swore again, louder this time. He knew he'd never catch Mardy. Mardy's horse was the fastest in Texas and his old nag wasn't half that fast. Lucky for him the outlaws always came looking for him and he never had to go search them out. 

He sighed and turned back towards the coach, riding towards it, then alongside it. He glanced in to find Roger watching him. "Do you like horses Roger?" 

"Ja, very much." 

"What are you going to do with your days while Tommy works on patients and... Marat?" At the bigger man's nod, Andy smiled. "And Marat here works at the blacksmith station." 

"I don't know. I was kind of hoping Marat would let me help him, but he says I don't want to be his apprentice." Roger shrugged and leaned out the coach's window. "You're really the Sheriff? Like a real cowboy?" 

"Well, no. I ain't a cowboy no more. I used to be. Fact is, Mardy and I needed to get away from the cattle ranches. Too many dangers working in cattle towns. Bluebonnet's much quieter and a lot nicer." 

"Does your town have a school?" 

At Andy's puzzled look, Tommy smiled. "Roger enjoys learning and teaching, even though he has the patience of eine Katzechen." 

"You wanna repeat that in English?" Andy raised an eyebrow and smiled at Roger who was blushing. 

"I apologize. I forget sometimes." 

Andy nodded and smiled at Tommy. "Quite all right, Doc." 

"It means a kitten." 

"Oh. Hyper, are ya?" Andy asked Roger, who blushed deeper and sat back inside the coach. "Also shy," he added with a wink at Roger. "I think you folks'll like being in Bluebonnet. Much quieter than anything in the East... or so I'm told." 

"You've lived out here long?" Marat asked suddenly. 

Andy turned his attention to the big man, puzzled. "You don't sound like these two." 

"Nyet. I am from Russia." 

"Ah. And they're from?" 

"Germany," Tommy supplied quickly before Roger could speak. 

"Ah. Europe, right? Well, that's just fine. As to the answer to your question, Marat, I was born in the Nebraska territories, but I've lived in Texas since I was just a little 'un." 

"Will there be much business for me?" Marat asked, trying not to glare at the sheriff. 

Andy chuckled at his expression and nodded. "You can bet you'll be having people lined up in the streets as well as the doc here. We ain't had a doc or a blacksmith in a long time." 

"We'll be able to get a house?" Roger asked Tommy, biting his lip. 

Andy blinked and felt his belly tighten. "Is that all you want, Roger?" 

Roger nodded, looking suddenly ten years younger. "A home." 

"A home is a good thing, but you need friends out here." 

"I've got friends." Roger gestured to Tommy and Marat. "I want a home." 

"Ya can't have too many friends. But, I'm sure you'll get your home, and sooner rather than later." Andy grinned at the smile that got him and he scooted his horse closer. "Would you like to ride into your new town with me, Roger?" 

Roger's eyes widened and he looked at Tommy and Marat. Marat started to object -- Andy could see it in his eyes -- but Tommy nodded. "Go on." 

"Pete! Stop the coach for a second." 

"What's going on, Sheriff?" 

"I'm going to take one of these boys in with me." 

"Well, all right." Pete pulled the coach to a stop and Roger clambered out. Andy held out his hand and helped Roger climb onto his horse, in front of him. Andy tried to control his rising cock as Roger wiggled around. 

"Roger, please, settle down," Andy asked as Roger shifted. 

"Oh... sorry. Of course." He wiggled a little more, then settled. 

Andy smiled and placed his arms on either side of Roger, lifting the reins. He spurred his horse forward, nodding in approval as he heard Pete start the horses forward again. 

As they neared the town, Roger's gasp made Andy grin. "She's not much, but she's a lovely town, isn't she?" 

"This is Bluebonnet?" Roger asked, turning his head to look at Andy. 

Andy nodded. "Sure is." 

"It's beautiful. Perfect." Roger turned back around, but not before Andy caught the bright smile. He groaned and looked back at the coach which was rapidly catching up. Andy hadn't even realized he'd slowed down to let Roger get the full effect of the small town spread out in front of them. He tried to picture it as a stranger might see it. 

Very few buildings lined the one road town, the biggest building of which was Mardy's hotel and bar. His own office was directly across from the saloon. Three more buildings stood next to his office -- the doctor's office, the general store and the telegraph office. Next to the saloon was the blacksmith's building. Next to that was the town's stables. Off in the distance, Andy could see his and Mardy's house -- the house they never saw anymore and he thought automatically of Roger and his urge to have a home. Even though there were only a few buildings, the town was clean and friendly. 

He smiled and urged his horse into town, pointing out things like the old oak tree that stood majestically next to the saloon. No one knew how old the tree was, but it had been standing as part of the town long before the town existed. 

He stopped in front of his office and slid off his horse, reaching up to help Roger down. Roger slid into his arms and was pressed against him. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off. "Well, now... what have we here? More fine young flesh for Mardy's whorehouse?" 

Andy scowled and pushed Roger behind him, turning to face off against Andre. "Ya know, Agassi... you're really starting to tick me off. This is Roger, he's the new doc's brother. Touch him, and you'll lose a hand." 

Andre smirked and then looked across the street. "Well, maybe I will leave this one alone... looks like there's plenty of fresh meat in town." 

Andy followed his lecherous gaze and saw Tommy just climbing out of the coach. "That's the new doc... if you upset him in any way, I'll shut you down." 

Andre glared. "You can't do that." 

"Agassi, I'm the law here. I can do whatever I damn well please." 

Andre turned and stalked back to his store. Andy rolled his eyes and turned to Roger. "That was Andre Agassi. He's in charge of the general store. Stay away from him as much as possible." 

Roger nodded and kissed Andy's cheek. "Thank you for showing me the town." And then he took off across the road, hooking his arm through Tommy's.

Andy took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This little trio of Europeans was going to turn this town inside out and Andy couldn't wait to see what happened next. 

 

Tommy glanced around the town and shivered as he caught sight of an old bald man watching him. He instinctively stepped closer to Marat and caught sight of Andy protecting Roger. "What do you think of the Sheriff?" he asked Marat in their only common language, Spanish, that these Texans wouldn't understand. 

"He is far too interested in our little Roger." 

"But Roger is just as interested. You saw him light up at the attention. He obviously likes the Sheriff." 

"If I were you two, I wouldn't speak Spanish around here," someone said in Spanish. "It's not exactly a smart move to speak Spanish in Texas, even if the Alamo was years ago." 

Tommy blinked and turned, his stomach twisting and bunching at the sight of the blue-eyed God from before. Mardy, his mind supplied absently. Mardy smiled and looked across the street. "Here comes your little Roger," he said in English. "Whenever you're ready, come on into the saloon and I'll show you which rooms are yours." He turned to Marat and narrowed his eyes. "Andy is the best man this side of the Mississippi. Your little Roger could do a lot worse than to befriend him." 

With that Mardy stalked back into the saloon. Tommy started to swear under his breath, but cut himself off as Roger hooked his arm through his. "Well?" 

Roger smiled and snuggled closer. "I love this town. The Sheriff is an absolute angel." 

They all looked up as someone cleared their throat. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear." Mardy stood in front of them again. Tommy opened his mouth to apologize for Marat's attitude, but Mardy cut him off, focusing on Roger. "Don't get me wrong, Roger, I love Andy. He's my best friend and... well, he's my saviour. But Andy Roddick is no angel. Don't place him on a pedestal because he'll never live up to expectations." Mardy glanced down at the ground and shivered. "I...." He turned suddenly and Tommy noticed his eyes going wide. "ANDY!" he shouted suddenly. 

Tommy stepped back from the shout and shuddered as he caught sight of the man down the road. A man in all black, his face covered by his hat. "Where's Roddick?" the man snarled. 

Mardy turned, looking at Tommy. "Get in the saloon now!" Then he turned and ran across the road. 

Tommy glanced after Mardy, but did as he was told, sheparding Marat and Roger into the saloon. Pete glanced at them and asked, "What's happening, boys?" 

"There is a man in black looking for the Sheriff," Marat replied, moving to the window. 

Tommy moved to stand beside him, letting Roger push his way to the glass. He noticed Andy stepping out into the street, his hands on his guns. "Johnny Mac," Andy's voice carried through the walls of the hotel. "Why are you here?" 

"You took something from my brother. It belongs to me now." 

"I took nothing from your brother except his life." 

"You took his whore... that pretty little blue-eyed boy, if I'm not mistaken -- and I rarely am." 

"Mardy ain't a whore," Andy growled. 

Tommy glanced over at Marat who frowned in return. Roger pressed closer to the glass and Tommy could see him biting his lip. 

"You callin' me a liar, boy?" 

"No. I'm just saying you should get your facts straight, old man." Andy shifted his stance and Tommy noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He looked closer and noticed another man in the shadows, dressed like this Johnny Mac. He bit his lip and motioned to Marat just as several shots rang out down the street.


	4. As the Dust Settles

Mardy heard the screaming from the saloon but he had to ignore it. He'd seen the man hiding in the shadows and he had to help Andy. He hated shooting his gun, but was as good as shot as Andy when it came down to it. 

Due to the gun fight, there was a huge dust cloud that was taking forever to settle. "Andy?" he called out quietly, not sure if Johnny Mac was dead or not. 

"Mardy? Get back inside, dammit!" 

"No. Andy, there's at least one other guy out here... I think I got him, but..." He was tackled suddenly and a fist crashed into his jaw. He yelled out and grappled with the man who was practically sitting on his chest. 

He heard Andy fighting nearby as the dust started to settle around them. It took him a few minutes to realize it, but the man he was fighting with was the man who had raped him two years before -- the man Andy had shot and supposedly killed. His stomach clenched and he struggled to keep the contents of his stomach where they belonged. 

"MARDY!" Andy yelled. 

Mardy froze as the barrel of a six shooter was pressed into his ribs. Patrick McEnroe hovered over him, smirking. "Thought you could get away, huh whore? You're mine." 

Mardy closed his eyes and said a quick, silent prayer as he reached for his gun. He flinched as a gunshot sounded and he felt the hard punch against his ribs. He gasped against the pain and his world went black. 

 

Andy shouted and flew at Patrick, punching him hard. He kept punching him long after Patrick stopped moving. A pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist and lifted him up, telling him to calm down. Andy struggled, determined to kill that bastard once again. 

He jolted and glared when someone slapped him hard. He found a pair of serious brown eyes focused on his face. "What the hell is your problem?" he snarled. 

A familiar voice rang out beside him and for a few seconds he had a hard time placing it. "Sheriff, Mardy's been shot. You need to calm down and help me get him to my office." 

Like that, Andy's anger was gone, replaced with a soul-deep fear for his best friend. He turned and dropped to Mardy's side, cradling Mardy's head in his lap. "It's okay, Fishy. I got you." 

"Sheriff, the wound isn't severe. It's just a flesh wound, but... do you want to carry him to my office?" 

Andy looked up into concerned green eyes and nodded. He picked Mardy up easily and followed the doctor. He felt a presence at his back and glanced over his shoulder. Roger and Marat were following them. The tension in him eased and he tried to slow his heart rate. He knew he'd killed Johnny and if Patrick wasn't dead already, Andy'd see him hanged by morning. He frowned as he settled Mardy onto a hard, cold table. "Doc, he's gonna be okay?" 

"Yes, Sheriff, I promise. It's just a flesh wound, but making you realize he was hurt was the only way to snap you out of... whatever happened out there." Tommy went to work, quickly and efficiently cleaning the wound. "Mardy probably just passed out from the pain, that's all." 

Andy smiled crookedly and sat down. He glanced at Roger and Marat, then at Tommy. "Was anyone else hurt?" 

"Just those men you shot..." Roger said, his voice trailing off when Andy looked at him. 

Marat smiled. "And the one that Mardy shot who was creeping up behind you." 

"There was a third guy. I saw Johnny and who I guess was Patrick over by the blacksmith shop. I thought someone was behind me, but I couldn't be sure." He sighed and looked down at Mardy. "You'll take good care of him, right? I've got to go take care of the bodies." 

"Andy?" 

Andy looked up and noticed Roger watching him like he was a particularly hard puzzle. "Yeah, Roger?" 

"Those men... they... they said Mardy was a..." 

Andy was across the room in a flash and had Roger pinned to the wall. "Shut up! He's not! Don't ever say that about Fishy!" 

Roger blinked and bit his lip. "I'm sorry... please... you're hurting me..." 

Andy dropped him and stalked from the doctor's office, knowing if he stayed he'd do some serious damage. He walked over to Patrick's still body and pulled out his gun. He rolled his head around and pointed at Patrick's forehead. "Bastard, I hope you rot in hell," he muttered, cocking the gun. 

"Don't do it, Andy." 

Closing his eyes, Andy kept the gun pointed at Patrick. "Why not, Fishy?" He tensed as arms wrapped around him, until he smelled Mardy. He leaned back against his friend and shivered. 

"Because, you're not him. That's something he'd do, Andy. You're a good man, so stop acting like him because you're scaring me." 

Andy turned his head and looked up into Mardy's eyes. He took a deep breath and let the trigger go, slowly. "He deserves to die." 

"Yeah, he does." Mardy pulled something from Andy's pocket and held it up, so the Sheriff's star glinted in the sunlight. "But this means you're not the trigger man, unless he draws down on you." 

"He could've killed you." 

"Good thing he can't hit the broad side of a barn if he was directly against it, ain't it?" Mardy smiled and kissed Andy's forehead. "Now, you owe someone an apology." 

"What the hell should I apologize to you for?" 

"Not me, Roddick. Roger. You scared the hell out of him. Go apologize. I'll take care of the McEnroes." 

Andy nodded and headed back to the doctor's office. He had his hand on the door when he realized why Mardy hadn't wanted him to kill Patrick. He turned just in time to see Mardy pull the trigger and collapse next to the body. "Dammit," he muttered, running down the street and sliding to a stop besides Mardy. "Why?" 

Mardy hung his head, his shoulders shaking. "For all the years he's haunted me. For all the bruises he put on me. For making me scared of my own shadow..." 

Andy dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Mardy, holding him close as Mardy broke down. He stroked back Mardy's hair, murmuring soothingly to him. After a while, he stood, pulling Mardy up to his feet. He sighed and looked from his office to Mardy's business. "I've got... Mardy..." 

Mardy sniffled and wiped at his face with his shirt sleeve. "Arrest me, Andy. I know you have to." 

Looking at Mardy's face, Andy realized that Mardy was in some sort of shock -- whether it was from shooting Patrick, or getting shot or finding out his rapist had been alive all these years, Andy wasn't sure. But he knew his friend wasn't feeling well. He glanced up and saw that Roger, Tommy and Marat were watching from just outside the saloon. He led Mardy over to the hotel and helped him inside. 

Once he had Mardy in bed and had made sure he was asleep, Andy turned his attention to the newcomers. "Hell of a welcome, ain't it?" he said rolling his eyes. 

Roger scooted behind Marat and peered at him from around the big man. Andy smiled slightly at that. "Roger, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to attack you. I just... Mardy's been my friend for a long time and I'm protective of him. I'd do anything to keep him safe." 

"Except you couldn't keep him from shooting that man," Roger said, hiding as soon as the words were said. 

Andy chuckled and stepped behind the bar, ignoring the saloon girl who tried to stop him. He grabbed four glasses and set them on the bar, pouring whiskey into each one. He shoved three of the glasses towards the newcomers and downed his in one swallow. "Honestly, I didn't even realize his intention until it was too late." 

"So, now you must arrest him, ja?" 

Andy looked questioningly at Roger. 

"It means yes. Sorry." 

"It's okay, Roger. And... yeah. He shot an unarmed, out cold man." 

"If I may?" Tommy spoke up for the first time in a while. 

Andy looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. 

"This man... he was dead before Mardy shot him." 

"You sure?" 

"Yes. His chest was not moving when we moved Mardy into my office. When Mardy shot him, he did not jerk in response. He was already dead. There is no need to arrest Mardy for killing a man who was already dead, is there?" 

Andy smiled and nodded. "Well... you are the town doctor, so I guess you'd know if someone was alive or dead. Hell, works for me." 

Marat chuckled suddenly and looked around. "Where is our rooms?" he asked. 

Andy shrugged and glanced over at one of the whores. "Any clue which rooms Mardy had set aside for the newcomers here?" 

"Last three on the top floor," one of the girls said, smiling coyly at Roger. 

Roger wrinkled his nose and turned his attention back to Andy. "Why... never mind." 

"No, please, Roger. Go ahead and ask." 

"Why did those men want to kill you?" 

Andy sighed and leaned against the bar. "Well, the one Mardy shot... he... hurt Mardy. A few years back. I killed him... or so we thought. Obviously, I didn't kill him dead enough. They wanted to hurt Mardy again, and kill me for trying to kill one of them." 

"Oh. How did they hurt Mardy?" 

"Well... that ain't my story to tell. And Mardy don't like to talk about it." Andy shrugged and pushed off the bar. He walked around and started for the stairs. "Follow me, I'll show you boys your rooms." 

They followed him quietly, each one mulling over everything they'd seen and done just since arriving in town. Andy caught sight of Tommy glancing towards the backroom where he'd taken Mardy. "He'll be all right, won't he, Doc?" 

"Physically, yes. I didn't even have to stitch his wound. Mentally... I'm not a psychologist, but I would say that he'll need... coddling." 

Andy nodded and opened one door. He moved to the next two doors and opened them as well. "Here's your rooms. I'll let you decide who's sleeping where." He started down the hall, then turned back and smiled at Roger. "Have the three of you eaten anything recently?" 

"Not since breakfast this morning," Roger said, smiling shyly back.

"Well, why don't you all get settled in your rooms and I'll head to the kitchen and see what I can't rustle up?" 

Roger started to reply, but Marat cut him off. "That's nice of you, but we have.... no..." 

"On the house," Andy said, waving off Marat's explanation. "Mardy and I already discussed this. Until you start getting customers, the town'll cover your expenses. 'Sides, it'll just be leftovers. I think Mardy was making a stew earlier." 

"Please, Marat," Roger asked, almost too quiet for Andy to overhear. 

"Fine. Thank you, Sheriff." 

"Just come on down whenever." Andy winked at Roger and headed downstairs. He found the stew still simmering and ladled up four bowlfuls, then found a basket of buns in the warming oven. He tested one to make sure it wasn't too dry and nodded. He carried the food into the bar and set it at a table, sitting down and beginning to eat. 

Several minutes later, Roger came bouncing down the stairs. He sat across from Andy and smiled before bowing his head and saying grace. Then he started to dig in, talking to Andy through mouthfuls of food about what they'd seen on their way to Texas. 

Andy smiled and laughed. He was really starting to like this kid... not just because Roger was beautiful and full of energy, but also because he was smart and funny and nice. Andy finished his stew and noticed Roger was scraping the bottom of his for the last drops. He gently took the empty bowl and replaced it with one of the full ones. As Roger continued to talk and eat, Andy stood up and refilled Roger's bowl, setting it in one of the other places. 

After what felt like forever -- but at the same time, to Andy, it wasn't nearly long enough being alone in Roger's company -- Tommy and Marat joined them, looking winded and flushed. While Andy tried to work that out, Mardy stumbled from his bedroom, wearing only his underclothes. He stopped short at the sight of the four men, calmly eating in his bar and turned quickly, hissing as the wound in his side tugged open. 

Andy hopped to his feet, but Tommy was already beside Mardy, checking the wound. He raised an eyebrow at the gentle way Tommy was touching Mardy and sat back down slowly. It looked to him like Mardy was in capable hands. He glanced over at Marat and noticed the thunderous look in the big man's eyes. "Something the matter, Marat?" he asked softly. 

"Nyet," Marat snapped, shoving his mouth full of food. 

Andy smirked as the reason behind Marat's expression came to him. Apparently, Marat didn't like the idea of his lover touching other men, even if those other men were patients. Andy thought about that for a moment and noticed Roger watching him with intelligent eyes. He knew in that moment that if Roger were his lover, the way Tommy was Marat's, he'd kill any man who dared touch what was his. Even if it didn't mean anything.

He smiled at Roger and started to speak, when a loud curse from behind him snapped his attention to Tommy and Mardy. Mardy was glaring at Tommy. Tommy was glaring back, looking very determined. "What's going on?" Andy demanded. 

Mardy dragged his attention from Tommy long enough to blink at Andy. 

Andy chuckled and got up, crossing the room and wrapping his arm around Mardy's waist. "Back off, Doc. I think he's had enough of your poking and prodding." 

Tommy set his jaw, looking angry. "I am just trying to help him." 

"By jabbing my wound and asking questions you have no right to ask?" Mardy snapped, still glaring. 

"Ja," Tommy replied. 

Mardy lunged for Tommy, but Andy kept his grip on his friend's waist. "Now, Mardy," he said to the struggling man, "you don't wanna go hurting the doc. He just got here. He seems a friendly enough sort..." 

"Let me go Andy!" 

"I don't think so. If I let you go, you're going to go after the doc. Now, maybe that'd be fun to watch. In fact, I know it would, especially since you ain't wearing proper clothes. But his boyfriend and his brother over there might just object." Andy smirked as Mardy immediately stopped struggling and turned to stare at him. 

Tommy spluttered, apparently trying to object to the boyfriend bit. At least, that's what Andy thought he was doing. He didn't care much. He pulled Mardy back into his room and sat him down, shutting the door tight. "Are you okay?" he asked, brushing his fingertips over Mardy's wound. 

Mardy hissed and shook his head. "It hurts." 

"You knew he was like us, right?" 

"I had a feeling..." Mardy shrugged and climbed under the covers. "He and the big guy, huh? Mar... whatever the hell his name is?" 

"Yeah, judging from the way Marat was glaring at you when Tommy was checking your wound, I'd say a big yes... well, that combined with the fact when they came down from their rooms a hell of a lot later than Roger did, they looked like they'd just gotten laid and I know none of your girls went up with 'em." 

Mardy rolled over, facing away from Andy. "Oh." 

Andy sighed and stroked Mardy's hair. "You like the doc?" 

"He's... he's beautiful. I guess I should know better, right? Why would anyone want an ugly man like me?" 

Andy scowled but knew nothing he could say would change Mardy's mind on his opinion of himself. Mardy had been this way long before the rape, which was why he'd become a whore in the first place. "Are you hungry?" he asked, after a length of time had passed. 

"A little." 

"I'll go grab you some stew and a couple rolls." 

"Thanks." 

"For you, I'd walk through fire. You know that." 

Mardy turned back, smiling at him, even though his eyes were rimmed in red and tear streaks marked his cheeks. "I'm not sorry I killed him, but I am sorry I put you in such an awkward position." 

"I'm not going to arrest you, Mardy." Andy debated with himself on telling Mardy why and decided against it. "It was justified. Considering everything he'd done to you... we'll bury him and his brothers outside the town cemetery." 

"But...." 

"No buts, Mardy. I'm the law. I decide." Andy stroked his cheek and stood up. "Be right back with your food." 

He walked back into the bar and noticed that Tommy, Marat, and Roger were gone. He frowned, wanting to talk to Roger some more. He headed into the kitchen, telling himself he'd grab the bowls when he was done taking care of Mardy. He stopped short at the sight of Roger at the kitchen sink, washing the dishes. "You don't have to do that, ya know?" 

Roger jumped and turned slowly, smiling. "I know. I... I feel like I should contribute somehow. I don't suppose Mardy needs any help around here." 

"You'd have to ask him. Tommy and Marat went to bed?" 

"Ja," Roger said, nodding slowly. "Is Mardy okay?" 

"I don't know for sure, Rog. Can you do me a favour though? Tell your brother and his boyfriend that Mardy doesn't know Patrick was already dead? It helped Mardy exorcise some demons he'd needed to get rid of and I don't want him reverting back." 

"No problem.... how long have you and him been... together?" 

"Together? Like Tommy and Marat?" At Roger's nod, Andy burst into laughter. "Rog, we ain't lovers. We're best friends." 

"But you do like men?" 

"Yep." Andy scooped some more of the stew into a bowl and grabbed the last couple of rolls. He set it all on a tray and grabbed a glass, filling it with water from the bucket. "So does Mardy, but we've never considered each other. Known each other too long." 

"Oh." Roger's voice was soft and a little unsure. 

Andy glanced up and saw Roger watching him. "Something the matter?" 

"Nein... I mean, no. I..." Roger moved closer until he was directly in front of Andy. He blinked and looked puzzled for a moment, tilting his head back and forth. 

Andy smiled at him, trying to figure out what was so interesting, but he didn't speak, liking that Roger was this close. Roger cocked his head to one side and grabbed Andy's wrists. He leaned in and pressed their mouths together, jumping back almost as soon as he'd touched Andy's mouth. He blushed and ran past Andy and up the stairs. 

Andy stood, stuck in place, smiling as he remembered the feel of those softer than feather lips. Yes, the Europeans were definitely going to turn the town inside out, starting with the Sheriff.


	5. How the Story Goes

Mardy woke up the next day, sore and tired. He hadn't slept well through the night because he could hear every little moan and groan of his newest guests. He rolled out of bed and tugged his pants on, stomping his boots on. He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on, fumbling with the buttons as he made his way into the kitchen. 

He stopped when he realized someone was standing at his stove making coffee. "Can I help you?" he snapped as Roger jolted. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize... I... I only wanted to help. I thought I could have your coffee ready for you." 

Mardy softened immediately. "I'm sorry." He sighed and finished tucking his shirt into his pants. "I guess I'm just not used to having people around." 

"What about the girls?" 

"They don't come in the kitchen. They burn water." 

Roger laughed and Mardy found himself smiling at the sound. "How do you know your way around the kitchen so well?" 

"When we were in New York, I did all the cooking while Tommy went to school and Marat worked. I'm good at it and I like to spend time cooking." 

"Want a job?" Mardy asked, only half-joking. He didn't mind cooking, but when the bar was full, it was awfully hard for him to run back and forth between the kitchen and the bar. 

"Do you mean that?" Roger asked, biting his lip. 

"Well... you know what... let's talk." Mardy took the cup of coffee and plateful of eggs, bacon and hashbrowns that Roger handed him. "You made all this?" 

Roger nodded and grabbed his own food before following Mardy into the bar. Mardy sat down and started to dig into his food, surprised at just how good it tastes. "You're a good cook." He bit his lip as he thought about how to phrase his next question. 

Roger blushed. "Danke," he murmured, taking several large bites. 

"You're welcome." 

Roger's eyes widened and he smiled. "You speak German, ja?" 

"Yeah. I speak a lot of languages... not much else to do but learn stuff when you're... look, I do need help here. Mainly kitchen stuff. Occasionally, I'll need help at the bar. How old are you?" 

"I am.... how do you say in English... uhm... eight...." Roger frowned, biting his lip. 

Mardy smiled. "Eighteen?" 

"Ja." Roger beamed. 

"Somehow I had you pegged as younger. But that's good." He smiled, then muttered under his breath, "Especially for Andy." He shook himself and ate a few more bites before sighing. "Look, I don't know what you... prefer, but, if you work for me, you don't touch the girls. I don't care what happens, the only reason you should ever touch them is if you're protecting them from a customer." 

"Ja." 

"Good. Now..." Mardy sighed and scratched at the back of his neck. "Do you know how to shoot?" 

"A gun?" 

"Yeah, a gun." 

"Nein." 

"Okay. Just as well. You'll be unarmed and most men won't shoot an unarmed man." Mardy scooped up the last forkful of hashbrowns and eggs. "Welcome to the Blue Belle." 

"Blue Belle?" 

Mardy smiled. "The.... uh... lady who owned this place before I bought it was named Belle. She named the placed after the bluebonnets that grow 'round here. I didn't want to change it to my name, so, it stays the Blue Belle." 

Roger grinned back. "What is your full name?" 

"Mardy Fish." 

"Fish? Like the things that swim in water?" 

Chuckling, Mardy nodded. "Just like that." 

"I'm sorry." 

"Yeah, it's not the greatest name to be stuck with as a kid." Mardy looked up at the sound of footsteps on the staircase. He looked away from Tommy and Marat and stood up. "Consider yourself hired. Two dollars a week." With that, Mardy turned and stalked from the saloon. 

He headed straight for Andy's office, not bothering to knock. He stopped just shy of yelling for Andy when he saw Andy laying on one of the cots in the cells fast asleep. He sighed, smiling and grabbed a blanket, covering Andy with it. He sat down on the bench in the cell and leaned against the bars. "I hired your boyfriend," he whispered, staring at the wall behind Andy. "I think he's just desperate to have a place to belong. I... He reminds me of me." 

"How so?" Andy asked as he rolled over. He yawned and sat up, picking his hat up off the floor and dusting it off. 

"Before I... before Austin... all I wanted was a place to belong... someone to love me unconditionally. Being... being a whore gave me that, if only for the few moments it took." Mardy's eyes filled and he looked down at the ground. "Do you believe in love at first sight?" 

Andy knelt in front of him and looked up at him. "Fishy..." 

"Doesn't matter. They're like rabbits." Mardy sniffled and shook his head. 

Andy leaned up and kissed Mardy softly. "I'm sorry, Fishy." 

Mardy took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm gonna go out to the house and clean 'er up. We should think about selling 'er." 

"Yeah, I was thinking about that yesterday when I was riding with Roger into town. Maybe... maybe we could let him and the other two stay there. So you don't have to listen to 'em...." 

Mardy smiled. "And so you can have Roger in your bed?" 

Smirking, Andy wiggled his eyebrows. "Something like that." 

"We can make the offer." 

Andy nodded and stood up, stretching out. He smiled brightly suddenly. "Roger." 

Mardy turned his head and noticed the other man standing there, looking staggered. "How long have you been there?" Mardy asked, climbing to his feet. 

"I... I didn't not mean to listen... I..." Roger held out a plate covered with a flour sack. "I only wanted to bring breakfast to the Sheriff." He bit his lip and set the plate down. "I am sorry..." 

Mardy's eyes filled in anger and he stepped towards Roger. "What did you hear?" he asked, biting off each word. 

"Fishy, calm down." 

"No, Andy! What did you hear?" Mardy asked again, yelling this time. 

"I am sorry... I hear you speak of me being like you and speak that you were whore... I am sorry... I did... not mean....." 

Mardy growled and stalked closer to Roger, being halted by Andy's arms around his waist. He was flung backwards suddenly and Andy slammed the cell door in his face. "Andy! Let me out!!" 

"No, Fishy. You calm down." Andy glared back at him and stepped closer to the bars. "Goddammit, Mardy, you're scaring this boy. Knock it off!" 

"I am sorry, Sheriff... Andy... I didn't mean..." 

Andy turned and moved away from the bars. He touched Roger's shoulder, gently and shook his head. "It's okay, Roger. It's okay. But you gotta promise me and Fishy here that you won't say anything about what you heard. You can't even tell Tommy about Fishy's past. I know that's probably an unfair thing to ask you, considering he's your brother, but...." 

Roger nodded. "I will not speak Tommy about...." He swallowed hard and looked nervously towards Mardy. 

Mardy growled and picked up the bench, heaving it against the bars of the cell. 

Andy turned and growled back. "Goddammit Mardy! Knock it off!" He turned back to Roger and said, "Go get your brother. Now. Tell him Mardy needs to be sedated." 

"You bastard! How dare you! Get away from him!" Mardy yelled. 

Roger looked from Andy to Mardy and then turned on his heel. 

 

Tommy looked up from his breakfast as Roger ran through the doors. "Tommy... Andy... Mardy... needs... help..." he said, panting heavily. 

Tommy leapt to his feet and grabbed his bag as he followed Roger across the street and into the Sheriff's office. Mardy was locked in one of the cells, a destroyed bench and cot littering the ground of the cell. Mardy was sitting in the middle of the damage, rocking back and forth, saying, "Get away.... get away... get away..." repeatedly. 

Tommy glanced at Andy who was sitting behind his desk, elbows on the top, hands clasped and his chin on his hands, looking like he wanted to cry. "Andy, what happened?" 

"Roger overheard us talking. Mardy... he got mad." Andy took a deep breath and closed his eyes, when he reopened them, he seemed more together. "He's done this before, but not since... not since we left Austin." 

Roger let out a squeak and Tommy turned to him. He frowned in confusion when Roger said to Andy, "This is my fault?" 

"No, not at all Roger." Andy stood up and came around the desk, pulling Roger into a hug. "Mardy... when you repeated... well... he... it makes him go a little crazy." 

"If he is not stable, why does he stay here?" 

"Go to hell, Doc. Either give me something to sedate him with or get the hell out of my office," Andy snarled, pushing Roger behind him. 

Tommy raised an eyebrow and looked from Andy to Roger to Mardy. "Let me in the cell." 

"I don't think so. He's violent. He'll hurt you." 

"Nein. He will not hurt me." Tommy's gaze settled on Roger. "Was I right?" 

"Ja," Roger said, sniffling. Tommy couldn't help but notice that Roger was clinging to Andy's shirt like it was a lifeline. 

Andy tossed Tommy a key. "Open the cell, toss me back the key, shut the door behind you. When he's asleep, I'll let you out." 

"Gut." 

"Huh?" 

Roger tapped Andy's shoulder. "It means good. Tommy will help." 

Tommy sighed and headed for the cell, dropping his bag outside. He opened the door and threw the key back at Andy before entering. He kicked a path through the destruction and knelt down next to Mardy. "Hello, Mardy." 

"Get away. Get away. Get away." Mardy had tears streaming down his face and Tommy's own eyes filled. 

"Nein, Liebling." He sat down in front of Mardy and touched the other man's knees. "Look at me, Liebling. I am not here to hurt you. I only wish to help." 

"Can't help. No one can. Dirty. Can't get clean. Not worthy," Mardy said, rocking back and forth. 

"Nein. You are worthy, Mardy. You are not dirty, you are clean. You are beautiful, intelligent man." Tommy scooted on the floor until he was by Mardy's side. He pulled Mardy against him, rocking with him. "Beautiful, worthy, intelligent, sweet man." 

"Not worthy... dirty... whore... never... get.... clean..." Mardy rested his head against Tommy's chest, gasping for air. "Whore. Dirty, filthy, no good bastard." 

Tommy stroked Mardy's hair. "Nein. Beautiful, sweet, smart, worthy." 

Mardy sniffled and buried his face against Tommy's chest and broke down, crying hard. Tommy's tears spilled over and he just held Mardy. 

 

"What's going on?" Andy asked Roger, watching the scene in the holding cell and trying not to cry. He'd never known that Mardy still felt that way. "Why is Tommy doing this to him?" 

Roger looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "Because it's what Marat did for him. It's how he got better." Roger wiped at his face and left. 

Andy sniffled and walked to the cell. He unlocked it and propped the door open a little bit. "I...." 

Tommy didn't look up. "You were not supposed to know. No one was. It would not look good for a town to have a whore for a doctor." 

"I don't care about your past." 

"Roger and I could not make... how you say... ends meet? When we moved to New York. He has been through so much.... I would've done anything... I did do anything to keep him from living on the street and to keep food on our table." 

"How'd you know about Mardy?" 

"He has similar markings on his hip to what someone put on me." 

"The M and the E intertwined?" 

"Ja." 

"It's a brand. The McEnroes used it on their cattle, back before Johnny and Patrick's dad died. Both the boys and their cousins had rings made with that brand." Andy sighed and started to pick up the mess. "Patrick... he thought he owned Mardy. Heated up the ring until it could've melted and pressed it to Mardy's skin. Then he raped him." Andy kicked the wall hard enough to have the ceiling shake. "I couldn't stop him. I tried.... I didn't get there in time." His eyes filled and the tears spilled down his cheeks. "I couldn't even kill Patrick for him." 

Tommy stayed silent while Andy cried. Andy finally let out a sigh and wiped at his face. "I'm sorry." 

"Nein. Don't apologize for being human." Tommy shifted and Andy went to his side. "Can you help me stand up?" 

Andy nodded and lifted both of them to their feet. "What're you gonna do with Mardy?" 

"Take him to... I guess back to his room." 

"Take him to our house." Andy grabbed his hat and picked Mardy up in his arms, holding him as easily as if he weighed less than a feather. "Grab the door, will you?" 

Tommy moved ahead and followed Andy down the street. "How far?" he asked, looking around. 

"Just a little ways." Andy nodded towards a huge house, standing just outside the town's perimeter. "We bought that place when we first moved to Bluebonnet. I'd saved some money from being a Ranger and he'd saved some money... well... anyhow. He bought the hotel from ole Belle and spruced 'er up. Fixed up the house too. He's kinda handy that way." Andy gestured with his chin to the front door of the house. 

Tommy grabbed it and opened it, letting Andy go first. "He swings out here at least once a week and cleans 'er up. We've been talking about selling, but... well, ain't no one in town wants this old place." He headed up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms, laying Mardy down. He pulled the covers up over his friend and sat on the side of the bed. "He's comfortable here. At the hotel... the girls... they make him feel..." 

"Dirty." Tommy nodded and watched as Andy fawned over Mardy. "If you want to get back to town...." 

"Look, Tommy, he'll kill me if he knows I'm telling you this, but I think he's in love with you." 

"I..." 

"Don't. I know and he knows that you've got Marat. Just... I don't think it's a smart thing, you being the one he turns to. I don't want him hurt. He's been hurt far too much already." 

"I would not hurt him." 

"Yeah, but would you leave your blacksmith?" 

"Nein." 

"He'll get hurt. Make sure.... if you're going to be around him, make sure he knows that you're only doing it out of professional courtesy." 

Tommy nodded and turned to leave. He paused at the doorway to Mardy's bedroom. "Sheriff, when I first saw him, I knew... but I cannot forget that I owe everything I am to Marat." 

Andy sighed. He watched silently as Tommy left. He turned back to Mardy and stroked his friend's hair. "Maybe hiring this guy on as town doc wasn't such a smart idea." 

"Do you regret us being here?" 

Andy looked up at the sound of Roger's voice and smiled at him. "No. Not you." He sighed and looked back at Mardy. "I can't help but think though... Fishy's been my only family for as long as I can remember. I've tried my best to keep things from happening to him, but.... he keeps getting hurt and that's my fault." 

"Nein. It is not your fault. Andy, you can only do so much for him. He is a man and he must make his own decisions, ja? You cannot protect him from everyone in the world, or he'll never live life." 

Andy turned and stared at Roger. "Awfully insightful for a kid." 

"I am not a kid. I am eighteen." 

"What?" 

"Ja." Roger shrugged and moved towards the bed. He sat on the edge and petted Mardy lightly. "Tommy likes to say I am eine Katzchen -- a kitten," he translated at Andy's puzzled look. "But... I know I am... not... how do you say? Uhm... normal." Roger frowned as if concentrating really hard and then shrugged. "When I was... little boy... my father... he... he hurt my Mutter. I try to stop him... but... he... throw me through wall." 

"And Roger has some problems that they associate with the head injuries he sustained." Andy turned and looked at Marat. "Roger said I should come apologize to you and to the other one here. I apparently do not make such a good impression yesterday." 

Andy smiled. "Honestly, Marat, I think you were acting like a jealous ass. That's neither here nor there, though. You don't owe anyone an apology for being yourself." 

"Roger... Tommy needs help setting up his office. Some of his supplies arrived while he was helping the Sheriff with Mardy." 

Roger stood and glanced at Andy, smiling awkwardly before leaving. 

"If you're going to warn me off of Roger, forget it. I like him and I'm going to pursue him." 

"Nyet." Marat sat down on the other side of the bed. "Tommy told you about his past, da?" 

"Yeah." Andy looked up and glared at Marat. "You take advantage of the fact that he trusts you. You use him to take what you want. That makes you no better than the McEnroes." 

"Nyet. I do not use him. I love him. I loved him long before I helped him, but... me, I am from Russia and he is from Germany. Our countries do not... get along. He sees me as enemy until I help him. Then he trusts me and fell in love with me. Only I know it not last." Marat took a deep breath and looked away. "I see the way he looks at your friend. I will not stand in his way if he chooses Mardy over me, but I will not have you question my feelings for him." 

"Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean... well, okay, yeah I did mean it that way. But I understand and I'm sorry." Andy sighed and leaned over, brushing his lips over Mardy's forehead. "Come with me, will ya?" 

Marat followed him downstairs and out onto the porch. "I'd do anything to protect Mardy, but... there are times when I haven't been able to." 

"I heard you speak to Roger. He is... slow in some ways, but very intelligent man. And determined." 

Andy chuckled and leaned against the house. "So you know what happened to Mardy?" 

"Tommy suspected. It was the same men, da? The ones who hurt Tommy hurt Mardy?" 

"Yeah. Looks that way. I've never heard of that insignia being on anything else and McEnroe's not a real common name." Andy sighed and fingered his gun. "I almost wish that bastard had been alive when Mardy shot him." 

Marat smirked. "He was. Tommy... he did not want you to arrest Mardy, so he lied." 

"What?" Andy took a deep breath and debated his options. He shrugged and shook his head. "Why?" 

"Because he knew who they were. He saw the one... Patrick, you called him? He saw him and he recognized him. I'm sure, if Tommy knew how to use a gun, he would've shot Patrick himself." 

"Well, damn." 

"You will not say anything, da? Tommy cannot know I told you." 

"I won't say a word. I wouldn't know where to start." Andy shrugged and took a deep breath. "Hell, I gotta get back into town. Can you stay with Mardy? I'll send Roger back out to watch him so you can get back to work?" 

"Da. That works for me." 

Andy reached up to tip his hat, cursing when he realized it wasn't on. "Thanks, Marat." 

He headed back into town, wondering what on earth could possibly happen next.


	6. The Truth Shall Set You Free

Marat headed back upstairs after Andy left and sat down next to Mardy. "If I'd known your past, I could've helped." 

"No, you couldn't have," Mardy said softly, making Marat jump. 

"I thought you were sleeping." 

"No. It's easy to pretend to be asleep when everyone expects you to sleep." Mardy sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. "You helped Tommy." 

"Da. But mostly what helped Tommy was...." 

"Having people not treat him different because of what happened," Roger said as he joined them in the room. 

Marat turned his head and stared at Roger. Roger smiled and sat down on Mardy's other side, scooting close and snuggling against his side. "Well, not exactly _not_ treating him different, but... not treating him like he'd done something wrong. None of it was your fault, you know that right?" 

Mardy nodded and Marat noticed how stiff his body was. "Roger, I think you are making Mardy uncomfortable. He doesn't like people touching him." 

"Well, he'll have to get used to it," Roger said wrapping an arm around Mardy's waist. 

Mardy flinched and pulled away, but Roger just followed him. "If you keep moving away, you'll end up in Marat's lap," Roger warned Mardy. 

Marat nearly laughed out loud when that halted the saloon owner's movements. He stood up. "I'd better get to work. Roger, try not to annoy Mardy too much. Mardy..." Marat shook his head at a loss for words. 

Mardy lifted his head and nodded. "Will you do me a favour? Go in and tell the girls not to let anyone in." 

"Absolutely." Marat headed downstairs and could hear the two men talking quietly. 

He sighed to himself and headed first to the bar and then to Tommy's office. He stepped inside and watched his lover place several medicines on shelves. "Do you love him?" he asked, leaning on the doorframe. 

Tommy turned and stared at him for several minutes before shaking his head. "Nein. He is... beautiful. But he is also so broken. When I look at him, I see myself." 

"That does not mean you do not love him. I know you, golubchik. I think you do love him, but you feel you owe me some debt of gratitude." 

"Nein. It is not that." Tommy sighed and finished putting away the medicine, then hopped up on the table. "You are right. I do love him. He is not and will probably never be open to love. He thinks all men want only sex from him and he thinks is he dirty and unclean." Tommy looked down at his hands, clasped between his knees. "He is not entirely sane. I don't think he ever had anyone who truly helped him through what happened.... oh, I know the Sheriff was there for him, but I don't think Andy held him ever when he'd get angry. He probably just did what he did this afternoon -- lock him up somewhere and let him scream and cry it out then sedate him." 

Marat moved to Tommy and touched his knee. "Golubchik, I think you should try to help Mardy. Who, but you, could possibly know what he's feeling? The Sheriff surely can't be of any help. No one else in this town seems to give a damn." 

"And if he thinks I just pity him?" 

"He is smarter than that." Marat tilted Tommy's chin up and kissed him softly. "You love him. Now help him to be better so he can love you in return." 

"What about you?" 

"I will always love you, but you and I both know that you feel, partially at least, indebted to me for helping you and Roger. I would rather you be happy with a man you have loved since you first saw him." Marat kissed him again and stepped back. "We will sleep in separate rooms starting tonight, da?" 

"Ja, if you insist." 

Marat nodded and moved to the door. "I'll be at my shop if you need any help." 

 

Tommy watched Marat leave and he hopped off the table. Everything was in place and he was ready to open his doors for business... but first....

He grabbed his bag and headed over to Mardy and Andy's house. He knocked softly, then let himself in. He went upstairs and found Mardy and Roger curled together under the blankets. He smiled at the picture they made. He crossed to the bed and carefully lifted the covers, realizing with a start that Mardy was naked. Roger was fully clothed, but Mardy... Tommy couldn't stop his eyes from taking in every inch of his pale, muscular back. 

"Something I can help you with, Doc?" Mardy asked, sounding bitter. 

"Nein... I am sorry. I was... looking at your scar." 

"Which one?" Mardy rolled over, meeting Tommy's gaze for about a second before glancing away. 

Tommy reached out and touched the brand on Mardy's hip. "He did that to me, too."

Mardy flinched away and shook his head. "How..." 

"It was... I know it was the same man because I saw him." 

"I heard...I wasn't sleeping." 

"Ah. I see." Tommy sat on the edge of the bed and touched Mardy's wound. "This looks to be healing well." 

Mardy snorted and pulled away. "Don't." 

"Don't what, Liebling? Touch you? I am a doctor. I have to touch to make sure it is not infected." 

"Liar." Mardy lifted his gaze. "I'm not stupid. You don't have to touch a wound to know if it's infected or not." 

Tommy frowned. "Okay, how about I have to touch you because I like the way your skin feels?" 

Mardy blushed and looked away. "I'm not... I don't do that anymore." 

Sighing, Tommy reached out and placed the flat of his hand on Mardy's chest. "I do not want sex with you... well, that is not true. I do want that with you, but I would never force anyone." 

Mardy swallowed and placed his hand over Tommy's. "I... I know that. I heard you, remember? But... you have a lover." 

"I don't think I do anymore." Tommy frowned and slipped his hand out from under Mardy's. "He... he thought it best to stay apart for a while so I can help you." 

"Help me? Help me what? Get over what happened? I was raped, branded, and beaten. Before that I was a whore, used and...." Mardy rolled out of bed, standing in front of Tommy. Tommy had to force his eyes to stay on Mardy's and not travel over his glorious naked body. "I'm filthy, dirty... a whore! That's all I've ever been and all I'll ever be! I can't escape that. I can't get over it!" 

Tommy hardened his gaze. "Am I filthy? Dirty? Unworthy? Ugly?" 

"No. Of course not, why would you think that?" 

"I was raped. I was branded, beaten and a whore." 

"You did what you had to do to keep food on the table and a roof over your heads." Mardy shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I was a whore because...." 

"Notice the past tense, Mardy. You are not a whore any longer. You are a smart, beautiful, sweet man. It does not matter why you did what you did. You are not a whore." 

"Then why do I still feel like one?" Mardy's shoulders started to shake and Tommy pulled him closer, holding him. 

He waited until Mardy stopped crying before speaking again. "Because you cannot stop thinking of yourself as one. You should get rid of the girls in your saloon, for starters." 

"Where will they go?" 

"Do you really think you are saving those girls by keeping them here?" 

Mardy snuggled closer and shook his head. "I don't make them stay." 

"But if you made them leave, maybe they could start over somewhere new as something other than whores?" 

"Maybe." Mardy sniffled.

"You don't let people in. Not even your Andy." 

"I let people in." 

"Nein. You don't." Tommy stroked his hand over Mardy's back, biting his lip as his cock started to harden. "You give people the illusion of being close to you, but they are not allowed to know your truest feelings. You've never told Andy why you became a whore, have you? Have you ever told anyone?" 

Mardy shook his head and moved even closer to Tommy. "He... he wouldn't understand." 

"Maybe I would." 

"No. No one would understand." 

"How do you know? You won't unless you tell someone." 

"I was fourteen the first time... we had just buried my dad and one of his friends cornered me in the house during the wake. Kept touching me, telling me how pretty I was... asked me what I was going to do now that I was man of the house. I couldn't get a job, no one would hire me 'cause my dad was such a lousy drunk. They all assumed I was the same... even as a kid." Mardy pulled away and laid down. Tommy laid down next to him and tugged Mardy into his arms. "He offered to help out, give me a job for a little while as long as I repaid him. I was fourteen. I didn't know what he meant." 

Tommy murmured soothingly and stroked Mardy's hip, cursing in his head as his wrist brushed over Mardy's cock. Mardy jolted and pulled back with a whimper. "I'm sorry, Mardy... I didn't mean to..." 

Mardy shook his head. "No... I... I'm sorry." 

"Why are you apologizing?" 

"For... for getting... well... 'cause your touching me is making me...." 

Tommy smiled and brushed his lips over Mardy's forehead. "I am flattered that it is because of me. Now, back to your story." 

"I did odd jobs around his farm. Took care of horses, sheep, cows... anything he asked me to do. He let my mom and sister move in with him. I thought as long as I worked hard he wouldn't hurt them. He was mean... he'd beat me if I didn't clean the stalls good enough for him. One day, I came in from the fields and he had sent my mom and sister into town. He was... he had his... in his hands and was... stroking himself." Mardy shuddered and clung to Tommy. "He told me to put it in my mouth or he'd hurt my mom. I... I did and then he... he... he...." 

"Shhhhh, I get the general idea. Do you want to go on?" 

"He shoved me to the ground and started to hit me... then he tore my pants off and... and mounted me. It hurt so much and... after... he hurt her anyhow. He hurt my sister too. My mom... she told me to get out... so... I left. I went to Austin and tried to get a job... any job. No one would hire me.... 'cept the McEnroes. I worked for them for two years... mostly as Patrick's personal whore." 

Tommy shuddered and shook his head. "How could you stand that? He..." Tommy shuddered again. 

"It wasn't easy. But... one day, I had a... customer... Andy. We went upstairs... he didn't... I offered... but he didn't want to have sex with me. He'd seen me with Patrick, getting smacked around. He wanted to help me... Patrick wasn't happy about me going with Andy 'cause Andy is... well, much better looking than Patrick ever was. Anyhow, Patrick beat me that night... worse than he ever had before. I ran away... found Andy. He held me while I cried, patched me up. Took care of me. I went back to Patrick, but I'd found a friend. I knew I could deal with anything Patrick pushed on me as long as I had Andy as a friend." 

Tommy held Mardy and stroked a hand down his back as Mardy seemed to gather his thoughts. "The beatings were worse after I met Andy... the sex was rougher and more violent. When I told him I was leaving -- that I was going to join Andy in getting out of Austin... he..." 

"That is when he raped and branded you?" 

"No... well, yeah, but no. He beat me first. So bad I couldn't move. Tied to me the bed and left me there. He'd come in every once in a while and rape me. He... he branded me and was in the process of... raping me again when Andy busted into the room. Shots rang out and we were both sure he was dead. He wasn't moving, was bleeding all over me... Andy pulled me from the bed and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around me. He carried me out to his horse and we rode out of town." 

"He really did save you." 

"Yeah." 

"After... you had problems being around people, yes?" 

"Yeah. Andy was the only person I would let near me... but even then... I'd... forget where I was. Start... screaming and yelling and.... throwing things. Destroying things. It doesn't happen much anymore...." 

"What set you off?" 

"Finding out Roger had heard my conversation with Andy. I'd... I'd told Andy some... very personal things..." 

"I would never tell anyone what I heard," Roger said, snuggling against Mardy's back. Tommy smiled at him over Mardy's shoulder. "I mean it, Mardy. What you said... about... well... you know. I wouldn't tell anyone." 

"And I know that... or... I know that now... but..." Mardy shrugged and snuggled closer to Tommy. "I am sorry if I scared you." 

"It is okay." Roger pulled back and Tommy scooted Mardy across the bed a little so he wasn't as close to the edge. 

Roger left and Tommy looked down at Mardy. "Are you tired, Liebling?" 

Mardy nodded, smiling slightly. "Yes. Will you... will you stay until I fall asleep?" 

"Of course I will, Liebling." Tommy closed his eyes, stroking Mardy's back as Mardy fell asleep. 

 

Andy looked up when the door to his office opened. He smiled and wondered how it was that he'd just met Roger and yet, just the sight of him made Andy's day brighter. "Hey there." 

"Mardy...." Roger bit his lip and moved closer. "You saved him." 

"I tried. I did what I could to take him out of there." 

Roger shook his head and crossed the remaining length to Andy. He threw his arms around Andy and kissed him hard. "You saved him. If it hadn't been for you, he wouldn't have... he wouldn't have wanted to be saved." 

Andy frowned and held Roger close. "How do you know?" 

"Mardy told Tommy everything. He... he went through hell but you pulled him out." 

"He's still in hell and I can't help anymore. I don't know what to do for him anymore." 

Roger laid his head on Andy's shoulder. "Just be there for him. Tommy will help him." 

"Because he's been through it?" 

"Ja, exactly." 

"I hope you're right, beautiful." 

Roger pulled back and smiled shyly. "You think I am beautiful?" 

Andy grinned and brushed his lips over Roger's. "I think you are the most beautiful man I've ever seen and I want you desperately." 

Roger blushed and tilted his head to the side. "I want you too." 

Groaning, Andy closed his eyes. "Oh Lord. You probably shouldn't have mentioned that." He opened his eyes and stared into Roger's eyes. "What will your brother think of this?" 

"Tommy only wants me to have happiness." 

Andy leaned in and kissed Roger deeply, slipping his tongue into the other man's mouth. He dragged the tip of his tongue over the roof of Roger's mouth and then sucked Roger's tongue into his mouth, stroking it with his own. One of them moaned -- Andy wasn't quite sure which -- and he spun them around, laying Roger across his desk and pressing down on top of him. He broke the kiss and licked at Roger's mouth. Dragging his mouth across Roger's jawline, he moved to his neck, licking, sucking and biting at the smooth, soft flesh. 

Roger whimpered and arched up against Andy. "Bitte... bitte...." 

The muttered German words made Andy pull back and he shook himself, then pulled Roger to his feet. "I'm so sorry, Roger. Jesus. I don't know what got into me." 

"Huh?" Roger looked dazed and he clung to Andy. "I...." 

"I'm sorry, sweet thing. I sort of lost my head over you. You're too damn responsive for my own good." 

"Huh?" 

Andy chuckled and kissed Roger softly. "I can't take you for our first time together on my desk. You deserve a bed and to not have to worry about someone walking in on us." 

Roger snuggled against Andy and smiled. "I made you... lose control, ja?" 

"Yeah, sweet thing. You made me lose control." 

"I like that." Roger pulled back and smiled at Andy. "I think I am going to go back to the hotel and..." He blushed and moved away. "You could join me, ja?" 

"As tempting as that sounds, sweet thing, I can't. I have to stay here. I have to be Sheriff." 

Roger smiled and kissed Andy. "I will just have to be satisfied with thinking of you then, I suppose." 

Andy groaned as Roger all but bounced out. He went to the door and watched as Roger headed into the hotel. "He's going to be the death of me." Andy glanced over at the blacksmith shop, noting that Marat was already doing good business. He waved at Marat, who was wiping beads of sweat off his face and then glanced over at the doc's office. It was closed and there was no sign of life. He smiled to himself and looked towards the house. "Good luck, Tommy. I hope you can get through to him. God knows I've never been able to break through that barrier he has," he whispered before heading back into his office.


	7. Love and Denial

Mardy woke up several hours later and snuggled against the man in bed with him before it occurred to him that no one should be in his bed. He jerked back and blinked at Tommy. The day's events came rushing back to him and he flushed. He couldn't believe he'd told this stranger every intimate detail about what happened to him. He quickly amended that to everything that had happened after his father died. He'd purposefully left out the part about his father being the first man to ever rape him. 

He shook his head and started to roll out of bed, but a strong arm around wrapped his waist and pulled him back. He whimpered at the feel of Tommy's hard body against him. Tommy nuzzled the back of his neck. "Where are you going, Liebling?" 

"I'm not your Liebling so stop calling me that." 

"You do not even know what it means," Tommy mumbled, letting go of Mardy. 

Mardy flipped over and glared at Tommy. "Ehrlich, glaubst du, weil ich Spanisch spreche, kann ich kein Deutsch? Was bin ich, dumm?" 

Tommy blinked and shook his head. "When did you learn to speak German?" 

"What else was I going to do when I was a whore? I learned languages because I was bored." 

Tommy blushed and looked away from Mardy. "I am sorry, Liebling... I did not mean... I... I didn't think you'd understand me." 

"Obviously," Mardy snapped, rolling away and grabbing his clothes. He dressed quickly and glared. The glare slipped off his face as he realized Tommy was naked. He bit his lip and tried to lift his gaze from Tommy's cock. Unconsciously he licked his lips slowly and moaned. 

"Mardy?" 

"I...." 

Tommy rolled out of bed towards Mardy and wrapped Mardy in his arms. "Are you okay, lei... Mardy?" 

Mardy whimpered and dropped his head to Tommy's shoulder. "You're naked," he whispered. 

"Ja... you said my clothes were making you itchy." 

"Oh. Right." Mardy was breathing hard and trying to control his body's reaction, but it wasn't working. Every part of him wanted to push Tommy to the bed and force the other man to mount him. He shook himself and shoved Tommy away, turning his back. "I... I... I have to go." Mardy grabbed his boots and ran from the room. He made a quick stop on the porch to pull his boots on before running through the town to Andy's office. 

Andy was sitting at his desk when Mardy burst through the door panting. "Fishy!? Are you okay? Is something wrong with Tommy?" 

"He... naked... want.... oh... God...." Mardy dropped to his knees, rocking back and forth. 

Andy pulled him into his arms and lifted him to a chair. "Mardy, you're gonna have to try to calm down before you tell me what's up." 

Mardy took several deep breaths and said, "Tommy and I were... asleep together. I guess I'd asked him to take off his clothes at some point..." He took another deep breath and let it out slowly. "I asked him to take his clothes off 'cause they were making me itchy. I woke up just a little while ago and we had an argument... well, sort of. I got mad at him 'cause he kept calling me Liebling which is German for love and I know he didn't know I knew what he was calling me but I snapped at him anyhow and then I got out of bed and he was naked and hard and oh God, Andy, I want him and I haven't wanted anyone ever and I'm scared 'cause what if he tries to hurt me. Everyone I've ever been with has hurt me and I don't think I could take it if Tommy hurt me." 

Andy sighed and stroked Mardy's hair. "You're in love with him, yeah?" 

Mardy nodded and buried his face in Andy's shoulder. "He's beautiful and nice and has... big hands and... wow. He was naked and so beautiful all over and big... hands." 

Andy chuckled at that and kissed the side of Mardy's head. "If you're in love with him, and he's going around calling you love, than maybe you should give him a chance. Mardy, he's been through what you've been through. I highly doubt he'd hurt you." Andy pulled back and lifted Mardy's chin. "I saw the way he looked at you -- the way he takes care of you. You're precious to him. He'll treat you like a fragile flower and keep you safe." 

Mardy bit his lip. "You think?" 

"Let's ask Roger -- who, I might add, has a horrible habit of eavesdropping on other people's conversations." Andy looked over Mardy's shoulder and raised an eyebrow. 

Roger stood there, blushing. "I am sorry." He walked over and leaned down, kissing Mardy's cheek, then kissed Andy deeply. "Tommy... he will never hurt you, Mardy. Even if he wanted to, he is not capable of hurting people. It's why he became a doctor. He likes to help people, not hurt them." 

Mardy sniffled and nodded. "I... I'll think it over. I better go open up for business... and take care of some." He hugged Andy, and then Roger before walking across the street to his saloon. He let himself in and found the girls sitting there, discussing him. They were talking about what a good boss he was. 

He shook his head and went to his safe, opening it quickly and pulling out some money. He tossed it into the middle of the table and smiled when the girls looked up at him. "Take it. Take it and leave. Get out of Bluebonnet and go to... anywhere else. Quit whoring yourselves, because all of you are better than that. Whatever you do, get out of my saloon. You're no longer welcome here and I'm no longer your boss." 

One of the girls tried to protest, but Mardy shook his head. "I see any of you step foot in my hotel or saloon again and I'll have you arrested for trespassing." He swallowed hard, knowing some of the farmers around the area would be angry with him for his decision but knowing he had to make this happen. Tommy had been right. He would never heal with these girls around and he wanted to run a respectable place. He headed into his room and changed his clothing, then looked around the tiny room. 

With a sigh, he headed back out to Andy's office. He stopped short in the doorway. Roger had Andy pinned to the wall and was grinding against him. Andy was whimpering and had his hands firmly planted on Roger's ass. Mardy bit back a chuckle and shut the door quietly. He looked down the road and sighed. Part of him was tempted to run as far and as fast as he could, but he knew he wouldn't leave Andy. He glanced up as someone called his name. "Hey there, Bob. How's it going?" He grinned at one of the local farmers. "Where's Mike?" he asked, wondering about Bob's twin brother. 

"I got sent into town for supplies. Mike's out chasing cattle." 

"What happened?" Mardy stepped down into the street and leaned against the horse railing in front of the Sheriff's office. 

"Damn rustlers snapped the fence line. I need to talk to the Sheriff." 

"Andy is... uh... otherwise occupied right now." Mardy glanced back at the office door and grinned. "He... uh... you might wanna go get your supplies. I'll duck in and tell Andy you need to talk to him." 

"That'd be great." Bob smiled and shook his head. "So, I hear the new doc's in town... came with the blacksmith and a cute, young thing, according to Andre." 

Mardy stiffened at the mention of the general store owner. "Andre's an asshole and Roger is off limits. So's Tommy." 

"Who's Tommy? Who's Roger?" 

"Tommy is the new doc. Roger is his brother. Stay away from both of them," Mardy warned. 

"Damn, relax, Mardy. I'm not gonna jump 'em. 'Sides, you know I love James." 

Mardy tried to ease the tension in his shoulders and sighed. "Sorry. Just... I'm sorry." 

"It's okay. I take it you've got a thing for the new doc?" 

"Yeah." 

"Good. 'Bout time you found someone. Mike, Robby, James, and I were taking bets on how long before you and Andy finally hooked up out of sheer desperation." 

Mardy wrinkled his nose, then jolted as someone called his name. He turned his head and noticed Tommy walking towards him and Bob. "Tommy, this is Bob Bryan. Bob, this is Tommy Haas, the new town doctor." He stepped back and headed into Andy's office, surprised to see Roger sitting on Andy's lap and the two just talking quietly. He sat down in an empty chair and leaned his head back against the wall. "Bob needs to talk to you, Andy. Some rustlers snapped his fence." 

"And you ran in here like someone was chasing you 'cause of Bob?" 

"No. Tommy..." Mardy blushed. "He... he's talking to Bob right now." 

Andy chuckled and nudged Roger off his lap. "I guess I'd better go play Sheriff for the twins." He grabbed his hat and dusted it off. "Remind me to go pick up my new hat tomorrow, sweet thing," he said to Roger, kissing him softly as he set the hat on his head. 

Roger smiled and sat down next to Mardy after Andy left. "Why are you so scared of Tommy?" he asked, snuggling close to Mardy. 

"Why are you so damned touchy feely?" Mardy snapped. 

"Because it is comforting to touch and be touched." Roger set his chin on Mardy's shoulder and stared at him. 

Mardy smiled. "You're impossible." 

"Tommy says I am... incorrigible." 

"Yeah, he'd be right." Mardy smiled wider and laughed. "Why can't I be mad at you?" 

"Marat would say I am too.... sweet to be mad at." Roger shrugged and kissed Mardy's cheek. 

"So, you and Andy, huh?" 

Roger blushed and nodded. "Ja, I love him, I think." 

"Good. Andy deserves to be loved and so do you." Mardy petted his hair. 

"Now, why are you so scared of Hasi?" 

"Hasi? You call him bunny?" Mardy giggled at that. 

"Ja, it is his nickname." Roger smiled. "Quit trying to change the subject. Why are you so scared of him?" 

"Because... because I love him... and I've never wanted a man before. I've never wanted anyone before. He makes me want... he makes me want things." 

"Like to be happy?" 

"For starters. Also, sex. I don't want sex. Ever. I've never liked the feel of being mounted, but... all I wanted to do earlier was roll onto my stomach and have him mount me." 

"Does it hurt?" 

"Yes. A lot." 

"It doesn't have to," Andy said from the doorway. He frowned slightly. "I've been taken and it doesn't hurt if you and your partner is careful." 

Mardy shrugged. "I've never not been hurt." 

"You've never had a lover, Fishy." Andy crossed the room and stroked Roger's hair before leaning down and kissing Mardy's forehead. "Not to keep beating a dead horse, but you've only had men who were using you. What did any of them care of your pleasure? They didn't. All they wanted was to take you and get themselves off." 

"But..." 

"No buts, Fishy. If you don't trust me, ask Marat. I'm sure he was taken by Tommy." 

"You want me to ask his lover how he is in bed?" 

"Ex. Marat has decided that he and I are no longer together," Tommy said from the doorway. He was watching Mardy with an intent look in his green eyes. 

Mardy looked away. "What the hell is with everyone listening in on my private conversations lately?" 

"Maybe if you didn't have such private conversations in such public places we wouldn't listen in," Roger said grinning.

Mardy glared at him, then smiled. "You're a brat." 

"Ja, he is." Tommy crossed the room and knelt in front of Mardy. "Leibe... I was scared. My first time after... after Marat saved me. I was so scared to let him take me. But the thing is, Andy is right. With the right partner it can be painless. In fact, it can be a wonderful feeling to have someone you care for filling you." He touched Mardy's knee lightly. "I am not asking you to give me a chance to prove it to you, but I do want you to trust me." He turned to Roger and narrowed his eyes. "Wait. Promise me you will wait. I don't want you to rush into anything." 

Mardy watched as Tommy turned a determined gaze on Andy. "You will wait until you have known each other longer than two days." 

"I will?" 

Tommy just stared at Andy. 

Andy raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Fine. We'll wait." He glanced over at Roger. "Your brother is right. We've only just met and I don't want to rush you." 

Tommy nodded approvingly and added, "You do know he is a virgin, ja?" 

Andy's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No. I didn't know that. But trust me, we'll wait and when it happens -- because, Tommy, it will happen -- I'll be careful with him. I wouldn't hurt him for all the gold in California." 

Tommy smiled and turned to Mardy. "And you, Liebling? Will you trust me to be your friend? I want you, but I am willing to wait until you are ready for more than just friendship." 

Mardy bit his lip and nodded. "Roger wants a home, right?" He looked at Andy for his approval. Andy nodded. 

"Yes. I want a home." Roger jumped in, excitedly. He blushed and sat back in his chair. "Sorry." 

"It's okay, Rog. Tommy... why don't you and him move out to Andy's and my house? I'd rather someone keep it occupied... and I don't like being away from the hotel. You two could pick your rooms and... well, you can stay in the house for as long as you want... until you get enough together to build your own house." 

Tommy started to object -- Mardy could see it in his eyes -- but Roger was looking at him pleadingly. "We will move into the house. For a week!" He frowned when Roger glared at him. "Just to make sure the arrangement will work for all of us." He paused and rubbed his hand up Mardy's thigh. "You will not kick Marat out of the hotel, will you?" 

"No. Of course I wouldn't. He's welcome to his room for as long as he wants it." 

"Thank you, Liebling." Mardy gasped as Tommy leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "Now, I must go actually open my office for business." 

Mardy watched him leave in a daze. He sat there ignoring the fact that Andy and Roger were both laughing at his expense and couldn't get over the fact that Tommy had slipped his tongue into his mouth. 

 

Andy sighed at the end of the night and locked his office behind him. Normally, he stayed at the office during the night, but he couldn't stop imagining Roger pinned to his desk as they kissed desperately. 

He found Mardy pouring Andre a glass of whiskey and gestured for the same as he sat his hat on the bar top. "Andre, my new hat come in yet?" 

"Just arrived today. Came in with Mardy's liquor." 

"Great. It's gonna smell like a bar," he said, smirking at Mardy. 

Mardy chuckled and handed Andy a glass of whiskey. "Hungry, Andy?" 

"I could eat. What's for dinner?" 

"Your boy is making steak and potatoes for Andre. You want the same?" 

"Really? So you did hire him on?" 

"Yeah. He's a good cook. And doesn't mind cleaning every once in a while." 

Andy grinned. "I'll take steak and potatoes then." 

Mardy winked and headed into the kitchen. Andy yawned and knocked back his drink. 

"You and that slow boy, huh? Rumour has it he's an idiot," Andre said as he took a long swallow. 

"He's smarter than you or I. Just a little shy," Andy replied, not looking at Andre. He knew if he looked at the man he'd probably shoot him. 

Mardy came back and sat Andre's food in front of him. "Here. Andy, did you get any news on Bob and Mike's cattle?" 

"Yeah. I rode out there this afternoon." He rolled his eyes. "You'd think those boys would know the difference between a purposefully broken board and one that broke 'cause it's old. We fixed the fence and they rounded up the cattle. Every single last one." 

Mardy chuckled and pulled a couple of beers out and took them over to one of the tables. Andy listened as the man yelled at Mardy for getting rid of the whores. Andy glanced around and realized that the whores were, in fact, not hanging around. "When did that happen?" he asked Mardy as the bar owner settled back behind the bar. 

"This afternoon. Tommy... he made me realize I wasn't helping those girls any. I gave 'em enough money to start over someplace new." 

"You're a good man, Mardy." 

Mardy smiled and nodded as someone new walked through the doors. Andy turned his head and nodded at Marat as well. "How's it going, Marat?" 

"Tiresome. But fulfilling. Mardy, may I have a bath?" 

"Absolutely." Mardy pointed to his bedroom. "I figured you would. Clean clothes are on my bed. Would you like some supper?" 

"I would appreciate it." Marat headed into Mardy's room and Andy cocked his eyebrow. 

"Stop looking at me like that, Andy. He likes to bathe when he comes in from working. Tommy told me. It's more sanitary to have him in my bedroom than in the kitchen." 

Andy smirked and shook his head. "I'm gonna go chat with Roger. You want me to tell him Marat's here and ready to eat?" 

"Thanks." 

Andy nodded and went into the kitchen. He walked up behind Roger and nuzzled his neck. "Hi there." 

"Hello." Roger turned and kissed him, then pressed a plate into his hand. "Your food." 

"Thanks. Marat's back and hungry." Andy settled himself at the small table in the middle of the kitchen and started to dig in. "You liking working here?" 

"It is nice. And Mardy lets me decide what to make. I like it." Roger beamed as he started to fry more potatoes. "I have some fresh milk if you'd be interested?" 

"I'd appreciate that." 

Roger poured him a glass of milk and set it in front of him, then sat across from him. "Why are you here? I thought you stayed at your office?" 

"I can't stay in there anymore without picturing you pinned beneath me on my desk. Or you pinning me to the wall." Andy grinned as Roger blushed. They both looked up as the door opened up and Mardy stuck his head in.

Mardy cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. "Tommy would like something to eat. If you're not too busy making eyes at the Sheriff?" 

"Sorry, Mardy," Roger said hopping to his feet and finishing Marat's plate. Then he got started on Tommy's. He was just finishing it up when Andy couldn't resist any longer. He got to his feet and wrapped his arms around Roger's waist. 

"I'm falling in love with you, sweet thing. How long do you think is long enough?" he asked, nuzzling Roger's neck. 

Roger shivered and his head dropped back to Andy's shoulder. "Maybe a day... or an hour is long enough." Roger whimpers as Andy licks and nips at his shoulder. "Five minutes. More than enough." 

Andy chuckled and slid his hand down to cup Roger through his pants. "Mmmmm, five whole minutes? I don't know if I can wait that long." 

"What are you two doing in my kitchen?!" Mardy growled. When Andy turned his head to look, Mardy was grinning at them. He stuck his tongue out at his best friend and went back to nuzzling Roger. 

"It's called touching, Mardy. It's fun. You should try it with the doc." 

Mardy sighed and crossed the room, taking Tommy's plate and Marat's. "Or not. He and Marat are... talking and sitting together." He sighed and headed back out. 

Andy frowned and pulled away from Roger. Roger turned and snuggled against him. "Poor Mardy." 

"Damn them. I was sure Tommy would be it for Mardy." Roger stroked Andy's back as Andy grumbled. After a few deep breaths, Andy turned and kissed Roger softly. "Thank you, sweet thing. I swear, though, if your brother hurts my Fishy, I'll string him up from the nearest tree." 

Roger chuckled and kissed Andy. "Nein. You will not. You would not harm an innocent man." 

Andy scowled because he knew that Roger was right. He wouldn't hurt Tommy, but he would most likely make his life miserable. He pulled away from Roger and picked up his plate. "You done in here?" 

"For now.... why?" 

"Come out to the bar and sit with me. I want to keep an eye on my Fishy." 

Roger nodded and cooled the fire down, following Andy into the bar. They sat down at a table and Roger snuggled against Andy's side. Andy smiled and ate his food in silence, keeping one eye on Tommy and Marat and the other on Mardy. He couldn't help but notice that Mardy was watching Tommy and Marat. 

Much later that evening, Roger and Tommy said goodnight and headed for Mardy and Andy's home. Andy stood out in front of the hotel, watching them go. He felt a presence at his side and smiled. "Are you trying to break my Fishy's heart?" 

"Nyet. I just wanted to talk to Tommy. He and I are friends. We were friends before we were lovers and I don't want that to change. I will do everything to encourage him and your Fishy though." 

Andy looked up at Marat and raised an eyebrow. "You will?" 

"Da. Tommy is in love with Mardy. Deeply in love with him, but he will not act on it because he thinks... no, he knows Mardy is afraid of him -- afraid of his own feelings. I am more than willing to help them be together. I truly only want Hasi and Roger happy." Marat narrowed his eyes. "Speaking of Roger... what exactly are your intentions where he is concerned?" 

Andy chuckled and shook his head. "It's my intention to treat him like he's my world. I'm in love with him." 

"Good. Then you will take care of him. You are aware he has never known another man's touch." 

"Yes. I am aware of that. I'll treat him with utmost care and respect. I promise you." Andy looked back towards his old house and smiled at the lights filling the windows. "I'm going up to bed. Goodnight, Marat." 

Andy went inside and said goodnight to Mardy before heading up to bed. He stripped off his clothes and laid back in the bed. He closed his eyes and pictured Roger leaning over him, lowering his mouth onto his cock. He wrapped his fist around himself and started to slowly stroke, imagining Roger's mouth sliding up and down, sucking and licking. He groaned and rocked his hips, his mind drifting to the thought of Roger laying under him as he pounds into him making Roger scream out his name so loudly they can hear it in the next town over and filling up his lover. 

He came with a shout and wiped his hand off on the comforter, smiling as he drifted off to sleep. Waiting wouldn't be easy, but the end result would be worth it, he was sure.


	8. Surprise and Innocence

Mardy yawned and stretched, snuggling against the warm body in bed with him. He smiled and scooted closer, not wanting to wake up. Then it hit him. Someone was in his bed with him! "What the hell?!" he yelled rolling out of bed and hitting the floor with a thud. 

Roger rolled towards the edge of the bed and blinked. "Are you okay?" 

"What... why are you in my bed, Roger?" 

"Because I couldn't sleep at the house and Tommy had to go early this morning out to the Bryan's. One of their boyfriends got hurt." 

Mardy sat up and reached over, stroking Roger's arm. "Why not run upstairs and crawl into bed with Andy?" 

Roger pouted. "I did not know where he was and I didn't want to open all of the doors." 

Mardy sighed and crawled back into bed. "Okay. It's way too early to be awake, so... unless you want me to take you to Andy?" 

Roger shook his head and curled around Mardy. "I'm fine here. You're very comfortable to cuddle with." 

Mardy chuckled and wrapped his arm around Roger's shoulders, nudging him backwards a little. "Make some room so I don't fall off the bed." 

Roger did as he was told, but stayed pressed against Mardy. "Do you really love Hasi?" he asked, nuzzling Mardy's neck. 

"I... I think I do... but..." 

"But you don't trust your own feelings?" 

"My feelings have always gotten me hurt before. Men I trusted betrayed that trust... the only man I've ever been able to rely on is Andy." 

"He is a good man." Roger paused and Mardy shivered as Roger's hand rubbed over his stomach. "I love him. Is it wrong that I barely know him and I can already see spending the rest of my life with him?" 

"No. It's not wrong at all. I... I've been waiting for you to show up," Mardy said, wondering why he was still holding Roger and hadn't pulled away. 

Roger pulled back and stared. "What do you mean?" 

"Andy... he's never really lacked for friendship... but he's been lacking that... spark that lights him up. You make him smile and laugh... and you make his eyes light up. He's in love with you and... for the first time since I met him, he's truly happy." 

Roger blinked and blushed. "I... I hope I make him happy and that I can... make him..." He blushed harder and buried his face against Mardy's chest. 

Mardy chuckled and stroked Roger's hair. "Happy? Yeah, you will. Trust me." 

"But... I've never..." 

"That's part of what will make him happy." Mardy pushed Roger back and smiled. "Andy's very possessive and you're just giving him a reason to lay his claim completely and totally. He will gloat for weeks -- maybe even years -- that you are his." 

Roger chuckled and nodded. "Enough about me and Andy. I want to talk about you and Hasi." 

Mardy sighed and started to pull away, but Roger just clung to him. "Rog..." 

"Nein. I talked of my feelings. It is your turn." Roger pouted. "Friends share." 

Mardy laughed softly. He knew Roger was right, even though he wasn't sure exactly when he and Roger had become friends. Hell, he still didn't understand why he wasn't pulling away from Roger. "I... he is beautiful. I saw him on top of the carriage before I even noticed anyone else up there with him. He's beautiful, and smart and kind and sweet and... and I'm just a whore." 

"Nein! You are not a whore. You are beautiful man, and all of the things you said about Hasi can be applied to you! You own your own business. You're generous, a good friend, and so very sweet and kind."

"Roger, I'm a whore. It's all I ever was... all I'll ever be." 

Roger sighed and snuggled closer to Mardy. "Nein. You are a saloon owner, now. Whore is your past, but you do not have to live that past as your present or your future." 

"Rog..." Mardy sighed and held Roger close. "The only time I don't feel like a whore is when I'm... hell, it doesn't matter." 

"Yes, it does. When don't you feel like a whore?" 

"When I'm being held." 

"By anyone in particular or in general?" 

"By Tommy... by you... by Andy... I feel like just a man. A real man, one who isn't a whore and never whored himself out." Mardy shrugged and rolled out of bed. "It's almost time for breakfast." 

 

Roger waited until Mardy had cleaned up and headed off to the general store to order more liquor before he ran upstairs and found Andy. He crawled into bed with him and snuggled against him. "He said he does not feel like a whore when he is being held." 

"Really? We'll have to share that with Tommy." Andy held Roger close and nuzzled his neck. "I suppose I should let you go make breakfast for everyone and I should probably go open up." 

Roger snuggled closer and pressed himself against Andy, smiling as he felt how much Andy enjoyed this. "Yes. We should." 

Andy groaned and slid his hand between their bodies, stroking over Roger's hardness. "How much longer do we have to wait?" 

"Tommy asked... oh... Andy... please..." 

Andy pulled back and kissed Roger hard. "Tommy asked?" 

"That you wait until you've known each other a week." Andy turned and growled at Marat. "He told me to keep an eye when he had to work." 

Roger whimpered when Andy crawled off of him. "Marat!" he whined, watching Andy dress and leave the room. He sat up and pouted. "He was touching me." 

Marat smiled and crossed to the bed, sitting next to Roger. "Da, he was touching you. I could see that for myself, thank you. Roger, you've only to wait a few more days." 

"Four more days... that's an eternity!" 

"Quit whining, Roger, or you'll wake the entire territory." Marat stood and sighed. "I will see you tonight for dinner." 

Roger waved, still pouting that Marat had made Andy go away. After a while, he slid out of bed and dressed properly, even making Andy's bed -- and if no one was there to witness him inhaling Andy's scent from his pillows, well who's to say it really happened?

He headed for the kitchen, starting to cook for the day ahead. 

 

Tommy shook his head at the twins who were smiling sheepishly at him. "How exactly did he get a knife stuck in his thigh?" Tommy asked them, unable to tell them apart, though he'd tried. He wrapped Robby's thigh in bandages, smiling when the other man laughed. 

"Well, Doc... let's just say, I should know better to go into the kitchen when Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are fighting in there." 

Tommy chuckled and patted Robby's thigh. "Well, just try to stay off the leg for a couple of days and keep it wrapped and clean. Any problems, come get me from town." 

Robby nodded and hugged his twin. "Thanks, Doc. How much do we owe you?" 

Tommy paused. He didn't have any clue how much to charge for stitching up a knife wound. 

The other boyfriend came in and handed Tommy a handful of bills. "This should cover his bill." 

"Danke... I mean, thank you." Tommy stood and tucked the money into his bag. He handed over some pain medicine. "If it gets to aching too terribly, take a little of this mixed with water or milk." 

"Thank you." James walked Tommy to the door and Tommy started the long walk back home. He made a note to next time borrow someone's horse as he neared the town. 

There were several people crowded around his office and he sighed. He knew he had to deal with them but he was so hungry. He sucked in a breath and headed for his office. "Hello, excuse me." 

"Are you the new doc?" one of the men asked. Tommy noted the foreign accent and tried to place it, but couldn't.

"Yes. If you'll all just give me a few moments..." 

"Doc, I've got this sore that won't heal...." 

"Doc, I've got this ache in my back...." 

"Doc...." 

"Doc...." 

"Doc...." 

Tommy closed his eyes and shook his head. "Please!" He held up a hand and waited until the people had calmed down. "I will get to each of you, but first, I must go wash up. And if one of you would run across to the saloon and ask Mardy to bring me some food I would be grateful. Please, give me a few moments." He ducked inside and shut the door, breathing hard. 

After he washed up and wiped down his tools, he went to the door, letting in the first patient. 

 

Andy shoved the last of his biscuit in his mouth and nodded approvingly at the way Tommy had handled his patients. He walked over, nodding at several of the people waiting. "Lleyton, any interesting wires?"

"No, Sheriff. Oh... the doc wanted one of us to run over and ask Mardy for food." 

Andy nodded and spotted Mardy coming out of the general store. "I'll let him know. Don't go overwhelming the doc." 

Andy chuckled as some of the townsfolk protested while others just shifted uncomfortably. He jogged down the street and caught up with Mardy. "What's wrong?" 

"That... I swear to God above, if I didn't have to do business with that man, I'd never talk to him ever again." Mardy shuddered. Andy wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him back to the saloon. "Your hat is in." 

"Thanks. Go sit down... and have Roger make some food for Tommy." Andy waited until Mardy was in the hotel before turning and storming his way into the general store. "Agassi! You little bastard. I've had enough of you." 

"Well, Sheriff. I got your hat right here... wait, what? What's the problem?" 

"You know damn well what the problem is Agassi!" Andy reached across the counter and grabbed Andre by the collar of his shirt. "I don't know what the hell you said to Fishy, but damn you to hell, you will not do it again!" 

"I didn't say anything to that little whore," Andre sneered. "All I did was ask him how often he was putting out for the doc so he and that slow boy would stick around for your sorry asses." 

Andy drew back his fist and punched Andre as hard as he could. He hopped over the counter and started hitting Andre until he felt arms wrap around his waist and pull him up and off the man. "You bastard! I'll kill you!" 

"Dammit, Andy! Knock it off!" Tommy yelled in his ear. 

Andy pulled away and faced off against Tommy. "Did you hear what he said?" 

"No, I didn't." Tommy took several deep breaths and shook his head. "Look, this place is next to my office and I nearly sliced off a patient's finger because of your yelling!" 

Andy wiped a hand over his face and glared. "He called Mardy a whore and insulted him. To his face! Mardy doesn't need this shit! So I'm dealing with it." 

"Andy, you're sheriff. You can't just haul off and hit everyone who insults Mardy!" Tommy sighed and walked around the counter, helping Andre to his feet. "Are you okay?" 

Andre held his hand over his nose. "I think he broke my dose." 

"Here, let me see." Tommy pulled Andre's hands away from his face then hit him as hard as he could. 

Andy's eyes widened as Andre hit the floor with a thud. "What...." 

Tommy glanced down at Andre and smiled at Andy. "Next time, let me deal with it. You're the law, you can't just go around hitting people for insulting others. I, on the other hand, have no problems doing it." 

Andy chuckled and nodded. "Deal. You should probably go back to your patients." 

"They all ran away when they heard you screaming at this... creature." 

"Sorry." 

"It's all right." Tommy stepped back around the counter and looked around. "This is the general store? It's so...." 

"Dirty? Disgusting? Empty?" 

"Yes, to all of the above." Tommy smiled as Andy threw his arm around his shoulder. 

"C'mon, Tommy. Let's go get you some food." Andy picked up his new hat and placed it on his head, tossing a few coins on the counter. 

They walked in silence to the hotel and found Mardy sitting at the bar, curled against Roger's side. Roger looked up and frowned. "Please, tell me one of you beat up that.... that.... that..." He trailed off and Andy chuckled. 

"Yep. Your... Hasi here knocked him out." 

"After Andy beat him up." 

Andy laughed and pulled Roger into his arms, kissing him soundly. "Well, hell, Hasi. We make a good team." 

Tommy snorted and rolled his eyes before wrapping his arm around Mardy's waist. Andy could tell he was expecting the bar owner to pull away, but was surprised to see Mardy snuggle against Tommy. "Thank you," Mardy said softly, nuzzling against Tommy's neck. 

Andy smiled and nodded approvingly. "Rog, why don't you and I go get your Hasi some food?" He pulled Roger towards the kitchen and as soon as the door swung shut, pushed Roger up against the wall. "Want you..." 

Roger giggled and pushed him back. "Does doing violence always make you...." He trailed off. 

Andy shook his head. "Nope. Seeing you makes me want to pin you to the wall and have my way with you." 

"We should probably try to respect Tommy's wishes," Roger said moving towards the stove. 

"Ever get the feeling he's punishing us, 'cause he's not getting laid?" Andy sighed and leaned against the wall, watching Roger cook food for Tommy. 

"Nein. He would not do that." Roger smiled over his shoulder and blushed. "You are so adorable when you are frustrated." 

Andy laughed. "Then I'm about to tip the scales of adorableness. If I have to spend one more night touching myself instead of you, I'm going to scream." 

"Maybe... maybe Tommy would be okay with you coming to the house and sleeping in the same bed as me? Nothing more, but... I would like to be held by you." 

Andy smiled and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around Roger's waist. "I'd like that. We'll talk to Tommy and make sure he's okay with it." 

"Make sure I'm okay with what?" Tommy asked from the doorway. Andy turned and smiled as he saw Mardy clinging to the doc. 

"Make sure you're okay with me sleeping with Roger. No sex. Just sleep. If I have to sleep alone, I'm going to hurt someone. Then you'll have to patch 'em up... and it'll just be brutal." 

Tommy chuckled and nodded. "Ja, you can sleep with him. You do know I am not trying to stop you from having sex with each other. I just want you both to be completely sure... and I must admit I am slightly jealous that you've both found each other." He smiled and shook his head. "Besides, it is your house and you are allowing us to live in it." 

Mardy spoke up finally. "Roger, would you mind putting together a picnic? I want to show Tommy the area." He bit his lip and met Andy's smiling eyes. "Maybe you and Andy could join us?" 

Andy nodded and glanced over Roger's shoulder, where Roger was frying chicken. "Looks like he's making fried chicken, so that'll work. I'll run over to the telegraph office and let Lleyton know I'll be out of town and so will the doc. Anything else I should do while I'm out?" 

Mardy nodded. "Can you go to the stables and get the horses ready? I have to lock the hotel down and go let Marat know we may not be here when he's done with work." 

Andy smiled. "Sure thing." He kissed Roger's neck and stepped back, hooking his arm through Mardy's as he led him outside. "So... you and the doc look to be getting close?" 

"I... Roger and I talked this morning. I realized... I only feel like... I only... I like being with Tommy. And apparently, he likes being with me. So... I should stop hiding right? Spend time with him? Maybe... maybe see if he loves me?" 

"That sounds like a terrific plan to me, Fishy. So, why include Roger and me on your date?" 

"Because I don't think I'm prepared to be completely alone with him." Mardy looked up and smiled. "I really love him, Andy. And... I want to be with him." 

"I've been waiting for you to figure that out, Fishy. Just... take it slow and make sure you're both ready." Andy hugged his best friend and looked towards the telegraph office. "You go tell Marat and I'll run and tell Lleyton." 

"Okay... Andy... about Roger... don't hurt him." 

Andy bit his lip and nodded. "I won't. Fishy, I love him. More than I thought it possible for me to feel about anyone." 

"Good." Mardy leaned over and kissed Andy's cheek then headed off to the blacksmith's. 

Andy chuckled and went into the telegraph office, letting Lleyton know they'd be out of touch all day. Then he went to the stables and got his horse and Mardy's ready. He led the two horses over to the hotel and waited outside for everyone to join him. Roger came out a short while later and handed him a saddle bag full of food. "Here. Mardy said you'd strap this to the horses. Why are there only two horses?" 

"Ever heard of a one horse town?" 

Roger giggled. 

Andy smiled and hugged Roger. "We're a two horse town. Seriously, we have no other horses than mine and Mardy's." 

Roger giggled again and walked to Andy's horse. "What is his name?" 

"His name? Doesn't have one." Andy shrugged. 

"You should name him. What is Mardy's horse named?" 

"That is Diavolo. Not quite sure what it means." 

"Devil," Mardy said stepping from the hotel. "He runs like the devil is chasing him, so I named him Diavolo. It's Italian." Mardy smiled and blushed when Tommy wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

"What is your horse named, Andy?" Tommy asked as he led Mardy to his horse. He helped Mardy mount and then climbed on behind him. 

Andy cocked an eyebrow at Tommy's touching Mardy so casually and helped Roger onto his horse. "He doesn't have a name." 

"Should be called snail," Mardy said, smirking over his shoulder. 

"Oh, that's it. We're racing to the lake." 

Mardy grinned and Andy realized it was the first time he'd ever seen Mardy smile that genuinely. "You're on. Diavolo and Tommy and I will see you three in about a week." With that Mardy took off, racing out of town. 

Andy scowled and urged his horse forward. "Jackass." 

"You should not call your friend names," Roger said, wrapping his arms around Andy's waist and snuggling close. 

"I wasn't calling Mardy a jackass. I was calling my horse a jackass. Thing's as stubborn as one." 

Roger giggled and slapped the horse's hindquarters. The horse leapt forward, galloping after Mardy, Tommy, and Diavolo.

They spent the day talking, fishing, hanging out and getting to know one another. Andy was amazed at the change in Mardy's demeanour. His friend had gone from somewhat shy and introverted to being outgoing, teasing and even going so far as to flirting with Roger. Not with Tommy, Andy couldn't help but notice, but he and Roger had a good time flirting with one another. Tommy leaned back on the blanket and looked at Andy. "He is not this... forward, usually is he?" 

"Nah. I've never seen him this... happy." Andy smiled and raised an eyebrow as Roger coaxed Mardy into stripping and going swimming with him. Mardy had, to Andy's knowledge, never stripped down in front of anyone except the people he'd been paid to have sex with. 

He looked over and had to fight back his laughter as Tommy's jaw dropped. "You saw him mostly naked that first night, Hasi." 

"Yes, but... I was too busy being his doctor to pay attention." 

"You've seen him naked since then too." 

"Yes, but not... he wasn't... it was dark in his room. I could not see... my God, he's beautiful." 

Andy chuckled and turned back to watch, groaning when he realized Roger was stripping off all of his clothing as well. "A week?" 

"Nein. You do not have to wait a week... though I would prefer you to wait, I understand not wanting too..." 

"How long will you wait for Mardy?" 

Tommy scowled. "As long as it takes for him to trust me one hundred percent. I do not want him to associate me with the men who raped him or the men who paid him to... I will not take him until he is ready." 

"And you'll make it pleasurable?" 

"I will try my best. He is... he is so afraid of any sexual encounter right now... even getting him to let me touch him.... I am amazed at how easily he is letting me close today." 

"Apparently, Roger talked to him today. This morning. The only time he doesn't feel like a whore is when he's in our arms.... our meaning me, Roger, and you." 

"He said that?" 

"To Roger." 

"Gut. Gut. Maybe I can make him trust me then." 

"He already does trust you, or he wouldn't cling to you the way he's been clinging today." 

Tommy smiled and stood. "We should join them, yes?" 

"Yeah. That sounds like a good idea." Andy stood as well and stripped of his clothing. He glanced over at Tommy and blinked. "Mardy was right... damn." 

"Excuse me?" 

"Mardy... he... he said you have big... hands." Andy chuckled. "He was right." 

Tommy blushed and shook his head. "He... oh." 

Andy laughed and started for the water. "Last one in's a rotten egg." 

 

"What's wrong Roger?" Mardy asked as he dove under the clear, cold water. Roger was standing at the shore, staring nervously. "You afraid of the water?" 

"Nein. I..." Roger blushed. "I do not know how to swim." 

Mardy's eyes widened and he climbed out of the water just as he heard Andy yell, "Last one in's a rotten egg." Then there were two flashes of naked skin and two loud splashes. 

He laughed and wrapped an arm around Roger. "It's shallow enough at the edge here. If you'd like... maybe I could teach you to swim sometime?" 

"I would like that very much." Roger let Mardy lead him into the water. He clung to Mardy's hand as Andy and Tommy started splashing each other and hollering. 

Mardy chuckled and wrapped an arm around Roger's waist. "Just tell me when and I'll be happy to help. Let's go that way," Mardy said, pointing away from where Tommy and Andy were acting like six year olds. "Might save us from getting too splashed." 

Roger nodded, clinging to Mardy. "I have never seen Tommy act this...." 

"Childish?" Mardy suggested when it looked like Roger couldn't find the proper word.

"I was going to say free, but childish works too." 

"Childish?!" Tommy yelped moving quickly in front of Roger and Mardy. "Maybe you two should give it a try." He grabbed Mardy around the waist and tossed him into the water. He grinned and dove in after Mardy. 

Roger turned and saw Andy coming towards him. "Nein. Andy, I cannot swim..." 

Mardy surfaced and watched as Andy lifted Roger up and carried him out of the water to the blanket. He bit his lip and smiled until Tommy dragged him back under the water. He shoved Tommy away and surfaced, then dunked Tommy when Tommy resurfaced. Tommy surfaced again and wiped his face then hugged Mardy. "See, it's not childish, it's fun." 

Mardy chuckled and hugged Tommy back. "Maybe you and I should... swim for a while. I think Andy and Roger might want some privacy." 

"Ja. This is a good idea." Tommy leaned closer, licking his lips. "Privacy is always a good thing when a couple wants to be alone." 

Mardy pushed a wet strand of hair behind his ear and leaned in. "Yeah... privacy good. Couples... kiss me, Tommy, please..." 

Tommy wrapped his arms around Mardy's waist and pulled him close. Mardy watched his eyes drift shut and whimpered as Tommy's mouth caressed his lightly. He felt Tommy's cock twitch against his stomach and knew his own was reacting in kind. He opened his mouth, letting Tommy delve his tongue in. He sucked on the doctor's tongue, sliding his own arms around Tommy and clinging to him. He broke the kiss after a few seconds, gasping for air. "I....." 

"Shhh, please, don't tell me you regret it, meinen leiben." 

"No... just... I'm not ready for more..." Mardy blinked back the sudden tears in his eyes, scared he was going to push Tommy away. "I... I think... I mean... I want... I just..." 

"Shhhh, meinen leiben. I know you're not ready. I am willing to wait. I do want to ask if you'll... well, will you come home with me, sleep with me? Just sleep, I promise." 

Mardy blushed and nodded, snuggling closer to Tommy. It occurred to him -- in an abstract sort of way -- that he and Tommy were both aroused by each other and he should probably be afraid, but he wasn't afraid of Tommy. He knew that Tommy would never hurt him. 

 

"Looks like your brother's making his move," Andy said as Roger snuggled against him.

"Ja. It is good for him and for Mardy that they spend time together." 

"Can you really not swim?" Andy asked stroking his hand over Roger's back. 

"Nein. I never learned. My... father was.... he did not... we were not close." 

"Ah. Sorry. Sore spot apparently." 

"Ja." 

"Okay then, sweet thing. We won't talk about it unless you're ready." 

"Thank you." Roger snuggled closer and slid his hand down Andy's chest to his stomach, then brushed his fingers over Andy's hardness. He jerked his hand back when Andy groaned. "I did wrong?" 

"No... not wrong... not at all wrong..." Andy ground his teeth together to keep from begging for another touch. "It felt good..." 

Roger smiled and kissed Andy's shoulder before touching him again, lightly sliding his fingertips over his hard flesh. Andy groaned again and licked his lips. "That's it, sweet thing... just touch me...." 

Roger bit his lip and shifted down so his mouth was mere inches from Andy's cock. He looked at it from different angles before leaning close and licking tentatively. Andy yelped and reached down, squeezing Roger's shoulder. "Please, sweet thing... put it in your mouth...." 

Roger looked up and pulled the tip into his mouth, his eyes locking on Andy's as he sucked tentatively. Andy let out a harsh breath and clenched his jaw. "Damn... sweet thing... I'm gonna... explode...." he whimpered out as his entire body tensed. 

Roger kept sucking at the tip, jerking back as warm, creamy fluid hit his tongue. His eyes widened as Andy's cock continued to spurt the liquid over him and he smiled shyly as the spurting slowed, finally stopping. "Is that... was that..." 

"Yes that's what's supposed to happen and yes, it was perfect." Andy shuddered a little and pulled Roger up level with him. "You've got me all over you." 

"I don't mind," Roger said, kissing Andy and snuggling close. His own hardness rubbed against Andy's stomach and he whimpered, wiggling his hips. 

"My turn," Andy said, pushing Roger to his back. He leaned down, taking Roger into his mouth. He pulled his cock as far in as it would go, stroking the rest of the length with his fist. He bobbed his head continually, sliding one finger under Roger's body to play with his hole. He pressed his finger in to the first knuckle and wiggled it until Roger came with a shout. He drank every last drop, then crawled up Roger's body and kissed him soundly. "We should probably wash you off and head back to town." 

"Mmmm, do we have to?" Roger asked, smiling satedly. 

"Maybe we can wait a little while." Andy grinned and kissed Roger again, then rolled to his side, pulling Roger on top of him. "I love you, Roger." 

"Ich leibe dich," Roger replied, snuggling in before he fell asleep. 

Andy chuckled and stroked his hand over Roger's back and side. He glanced towards the water and grinned at the sight of Tommy and Mardy swimming together. Things were definitely looking up in Bluebonnet.


	9. Life in the Wild, Wild West

Tommy wrapped the blanket around Mardy's shoulders as Andy started a fire. "Cold, meinen leiben?" 

"A little," Mardy said, shivering as he snuggled against Tommy. "Aren't you?" 

"Ja." Tommy smiled and settled his arm over the blanket. "May I join you under the blanket?" 

Mardy blushed and nodded, holding the blanket open. Tommy scooted close to Mardy and wrapped his arm around his waist. Mardy sighed and nestled against him, resting his head on Tommy's shoulder. 

Andy smiled and winked at Tommy, feeding the fire. "If you'd like, we could probably spend the night out here, no problem." 

"What about wild animals?" Roger asked, scooting closer to Andy as something howled in the distance. 

Tommy jerked his head towards the sound, eyes wide. Mardy giggled and kissed Tommy's shoulder. "It's a coyote. And it's far enough away it won't bother us. It wouldn't anyhow, but..." 

Andy grinned and pulled Roger onto his lap. "Mardy's right. Coyotes won't bother humans. They're scared of us. It's just howling at the moon." 

"Oh. Good." Roger wiggled a little and smiled happily as Andy nuzzled his shoulder. 

Tommy rolled his eyes and held Mardy close. "Feeling better?" he asked Mardy softly. 

"Yeah. A lot. Thanks to you." 

"I didn't do anything special." 

"Yeah, you did. Even just... even just holding me... just feeling your arms around me... it makes me feel better." Mardy blushed and shifted until he had Tommy lying on his back. He rolled on top of him and smiled through his blushing. "I.... I love you." He ducked his head and scooted down, snuggling against Tommy's side. 

Tommy blinked and rubbed his hand over Mardy's back. "I love you too," he said licking his lips. He glanced over at Andy and Roger and saw them grinning at him. He smiled back and hugged Tommy close. "My beautiful Mardy." 

"I feel beautiful when I'm in your arms." 

Hands in constant motion over Mardy's soft skin, Tommy said, "You are beautiful. Always. Someday, you'll believe that." 

 

Andy smiled and held Roger close. He was happy that Mardy and Tommy were obviously making progress. "So, what do you say, sweet thing? Wanna spend the night under the stars with me?" 

"Ja... as long as I'm with you, I'll go anywhere." 

Andy laid down on the blanket next to Tommy and Mardy and pulled Roger next to him, covering them both with the extra blanket. "What're your dreams?" 

"To have a home. To not be afraid of my family anymore." Roger snuggled in, his fingertips caressing Andy's hip. "I.... Tommy?" 

"His family... well... you heard what his father did, ja?" 

Andy nodded, stroking Roger's arm as he turned his attention to Tommy. He noticed Mardy was listening intently as well. 

"His mother... she never cared. She never paid attention to him. In fact, she was... well... a very bad woman and..." Tommy shook his head. "That is how Roger and I met. His mother was sleeping with my father. We became friends because our parents would not let us speak to anyone outside family." He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "His father used to enjoy hitting Roger. Throwing him through the wall was the final insult. I..." Tommy swallowed and looked at Mardy. Andy watched as he brushed a thumb over Mardy's mouth then looked back at Andy. "I went after him. It was one thing, in my mind, for him to have hit Roger's mother, but another to go after a child. Roger was only fourteen." 

"Which would've made you?" Andy asked, curious about their life. He realized he didn't even know how old Tommy was. 

"I was seventeen at the time. I beat him up... or as best I could. We ran away. First to England, then to New York. It was... easier in England. People were... friendlier to us. In New York, we were just two more children on the street. No one cared. It was easy to fall into selling myself. I made sure no one touched Roger while I went to school to become a doctor. I went through school fast because I knew I would not last in that city. We met Marat and he became a good friend." 

Andy noticed Mardy stiffen and pull away, but he wanted to know everything. "And?" 

"It was a year ago when I finished my schooling. I had just... met Patrick. He had seemed nice enough, if a little... abnormal. But he said he'd pay well...." Tommy closed his eyes and shook his head. "You know what happened next. I do not have problems talking of it, but I do not want to do so in front of Mardy, ja?" 

"Yeah. After that, then? Why the West? Why Texas?" 

"We lived in an apartment building with a nice old man. He watched out for Roger while I was at school or... out. He told us stories. Stories about Texas and Texas Rangers and cowboys and life in the Wild West. Roger begged us to move. He hated the city as much as Marat and I did. We've been cooped up in cities our whole lives -- even Marat. We all came to America with the same destiny in mind -- to live where you could breathe the air and not be surrounded by the stench of people. So... after I healed, Marat suggested we start our journey. I never intended to fall in love with him, but at that point, he was our family. I don't know how it happened." 

Andy frowned as Mardy pulled back and gathered his clothes, dressing quietly. Tommy didn't even appear to notice. "We went to St. Louis and stopped there for several months. I got a job working as a doctor and Marat went to work for a blacksmith. Roger went to school and helped around our apartment. We stayed there for a while. Until I saw your ad in the papers for a town doctor. It was the chance we'd all been looking for. When I wrote and asked if there was work for a blacksmith and you said yes, our minds were made up." 

Andy bit his lip and crawled out from under the blanket he was sharing with Roger and pulled on his pants. He followed Mardy to his horse and placed a hand on his best friend's thigh. "Mardy..." 

"No. Just... I knew it was too good, ya know? Figures. I find a man I can love... a man I can see having a future with and he's in love with someone else." Mardy wiped at his eyes and shook his head. He leaned down and kissed Andy softly. "I love you. I don't think I've ever said it before, but I do. I've got to get out of here though." 

Andy stepped back as Mardy took off. He closed his eyes, ignoring the tears that trickled down his cheeks. "Goodbye, my friend. I love you too." He felt arms wrap around his waist and he leaned back against Roger. 

"Is he gone? Like for good?" 

"He won't be there when we get back to town. He's... he's leaving." 

"Then we must get back and stop him," Tommy said from a few feet away. 

"How? On my horse? Damn thing could never catch Mardy's horse in a million years." Andy sighed and went back to the campfire, packing up their things. "Get on the horse, you two." 

"You're not even going to try to stop him?!" 

"Go to Hell, Tommy. This is your fault! If you'd just kept him close while you talked about Marat... but no. You didn't even notice he'd pulled away until he was gone!" Andy shoved everything in the saddle bags and put out the fire. He stalked over to his horse and swung up on his back. He held his hand out to Roger and helped his lover climb on in front of him. "Now get on this horse, or I swear to God, I'm leaving your ass here and I'll let you find your own way back to town!" 

Tommy reluctantly climbed on the back of the horse. He held on as Andy started forward, but Andy noticed that Tommy didn't touch him. Andy sighed and wrapped his arms around Roger, holding him as close as he could. 

They got back to town and found Marat sitting on the steps of the hotel. Marat stood and glared at the three of them. "Mardy left town. He said he was not going to come back!" 

"What do you care?" Andy snapped, helping Roger to the ground. He left Tommy to fend for himself as he led his horse down to the stables. "Now you can have Tommy all to yourself!" He closed the doors of the stable behind himself and sat down on a bale of hay. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and let loose, crying his heart out. 

 

Roger watched Andy walk away, then turned and kicked Tommy in the shin as hard as he could. "How could you!? Not only have you broken Mardy's heart, but you've hurt Andy as well!" 

"Roger, I didn't mean.... I...." 

"Nein! Don't speak to me!" Roger turned on his heel and ran to the stables. He tugged the doors open and wrapped himself around Andy, who was still crying. "I am so sorry," he said, tears streaming down his face. He didn't know what was upsetting him more, the fact that Mardy had left or the fact that Andy was so heartbroken by it. 

Andy pulled Roger onto his lap and hugged him tightly, burying his face in Roger's shoulder. "I can't believe he actually left... what am I going to do without him?" 

"We can search for him. You and I..." Roger stroked Andy's hair and held onto him. 

Andy pulled back after a while and sniffled. "I'm sorry, sweet thing. I... I love you, you know that, right?" Roger nodded. "I just... Mardy's been my life for so long... my only true friend... I... I know you'll make me happy, but...." 

"You will worry about him. I am not jealous, Andy. I love to watch you and Mardy together. You are such good friends. Almost brothers." 

"I'm so mad at Tommy right now..." 

"As I am." Roger blushed and smiled. "I kicked him." 

"You kicked him?" Andy chuckled and stood, setting Roger on the hay. "You kicked him?" 

"I kicked him. I was mad that he had hurt Mardy and hurt you. I would've shot him, but I do not know how to shoot a gun... and I don't have one anyhow." 

Andy chuckled more, breaking into laughter. "You are something else, sweet thing." Andy wiped at his eyes and went to his horse, rubbing him down. "Did you mean it? You'd go with me if I wanted to search for Mardy?" 

"I would go to the ends of the earth if you asked me to." 

Andy smiled and turned to Roger. "Ends of the earth isn't necessary. But I think I know where Mardy would head. I just hope we can catch up to him and his Diavolo." 

"Well, we'll need a faster horse... and probably two." 

"Yeah, I was thinking about that. I may have to go talk to the twins and see if they'll let us borrow a couple of their mounts." 

"We should start in the morning. Should I go to the store and get food before we head out?" 

"No. I'll go talk to Andre and get us supplies." Andy raised an eyebrow as Roger wrapped his arms around him. "What's up?" 

"Before we head out... will you take me home and... claim me?" Roger asked, blushing. 

Andy looked shocked. "Are you sure, darlin'?" 

"Yes, please..." Roger nuzzled his face against Andy's neck. "I want to belong to you." 

Andy swallowed hard, but put away the grooming tools and led his horse into its stall. He shut the door and lifted Roger into his arms. "You do. Rog, if we do this, no other man touches you, ever or he'll get shot, got me?" 

Roger chuckled and nodded. "I want to be just yours." 

Andy set Roger down and took his hand in his. "C'mon then. Let's get you to my home... scratch that, our home." He smiled and kissed Roger deeply before tugging him out of the stables and towards the house. 

 

"What happened Tommy?" Marat asked as Roger took off. 

Tommy sank to the steps next to Marat. "I was telling them about what happened -- how we met, our past. I... I started talking about you. About loving you. I guess Mardy pulled away..." 

"You guess? You didn't notice as the man you love pulled away from you?!" Marat shook his head and glared at Tommy. "If I didn't love you, I'd kick you too. Dammit, Hasi, you love him! How could you not notice when he pulled away?" 

"Because I love you too!" Tommy sighed and dropped his chin to his chest, staring down at his hands which were tightly clasped between his knees. "Maybe I'm not supposed to love two men at once, but I do. I know I should give my full attention to Mardy, but... I miss being in your arms." 

Marat sighed and sat next to Tommy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and holding him close. "I love you too, Hasi, but Mardy needs you... and now he's gone." 

"What am I going to do? Andy hates me and Roger'll probably never speak to me again. Mardy was doing so well too. He let me kiss him and I was holding him.... he didn't even get scared off by the fact that I was aroused by him." 

"Tommy, I want you to think very carefully." Marat kneeled in front of Tommy and held his knees. "Do you really love me or do you just feel that you should because I saved you?" 

"I lo..." Tommy was cut off by Marat's hand over his mouth. 

"Nyet! Think carefully." Marat let go of Tommy's mouth and looked up. "Excuse me. Think it over and I will be right back." He stood and hurried down the street. He grabbed Andy and Roger and glared at both of them. "Where do you think you're going?" 

Roger turned and glared back. "To our home. Let go, Marat or else." 

"Or else what?" Marat asked, amused by Roger's standing up for himself. 

"Or else I'll just shoot you. Let us go. You're not his brother and you're not in charge of his life." Andy tugged his gun from its holster and held it at his side. 

"You would not shoot an unarmed man," Marat said uncertainly. 

"Do you really wanna test that theory?" Andy smirked and tugged his arm from Marat's grasp. "Oh... and just so you know, Roger and I are leaving town tomorrow to find Mardy. So you and Tommy can live happily ever after, without us." Andy turned and stalked towards his house. 

Roger kicked Marat in the shin and scowled. He stuck his tongue out, then turned and followed Andy. 

Marat stood there, torn between wanting to laugh at Roger and scream at Andy. "Stubborn..." 

He turned back to the hotel and saw Tommy watching him. "Well?" he asked, walking back to his ex-lover. 

"I do love you, but..." 

"Not the way you love Mardy, da?" 

"Ja." 

"Then go after Mardy. Andy and Roger are going to go look for him tomorrow. Maybe they will allow you to go with them." 

"Or they may shoot me for hurting him." 

"Nyet. They will not shoot you unless they find Mardy and he tells them to shoot you... then again, from what I have heard from Lleyton, Mardy may just shoot you himself. I've heard he's good with guns." Marat chuckled as Tommy paled.

"I will go and ask Andy and Roger if I can go with them to look for him." 

"Not now... maybe you should go sleep in your office. Andy and Roger have... other plans." 

"Oh... I see." Tommy frowned and headed for his office. "Thank you, Marat. Once again, you may have saved my life." 

Marat sighed as the door closed behind Tommy. "I hope so, my heart. I hope so." 

 

Andy led the way upstairs to his room and turned just inside, pulling Roger into his arms. "I love you, Roger. I love you so much it scares me." 

"I love you, too, Andy." Roger kissed Andy, sucking his tongue into his mouth as he worked his hands under Andy's shirt. He brushed his fingertips over Andy's skin, causing Andy to shiver. 

Andy stepped back and pulled his shirt off, then tugged Roger's shirt over his head. He ran his fingertips over Roger's skin, smiling at the soft shudders that ran through his lover's body. He licked his lips, then kneeled in front of Roger, licking at his stomach, enjoying the way the muscles twitched and moved. He worked Roger's pants open and down before licking at Roger's cock. As Roger mewled, he stood and stripped off his own clothes. "Get on the bed," he ordered. 

Roger crawled on the bed and sat in the middle looking at Andy. Andy grabbed a bottle of oil from his dresser and set it on the bed, climbing on and pushing Roger to his back. "I'm going to prepare you slowly. I want you to tell me if I start to hurt you, okay?" 

"Ja..." Roger shook his head and bit his lower lip. "Andy... I am... nervous." 

"I know... which is why I'm going to go slow. I promise, I'll do my best not to hurt you, sweet thing." 

Roger smiled and nodded, spreading his legs as Andy started to stroke his cock. He groaned and lifted his hips up. 

Andy watched Roger's face as he coated his hands with the oil. He slid the tip of his finger into Roger, being as careful as he knew how to be. Roger didn't wince or flinch, but pushed back. Andy smiled, enjoying Roger's responsiveness as he added as second finger and started to thrust them in and out, spreading them out as Roger moaned and moved on him. "Feel okay?" 

"Feels... oohh... please... more...." 

Andy added a third finger, pausing when Roger's body stiffened in response. "Sweet thing, relax. I know it hurts, but it'll hurt worse if you're tense." 

"All right," Roger said, breathing heavily. Andy leaned over and sucked at the tip of Roger's cock, not wanting to bring Roger off, but needing to relax him enough to continue stretching him. 

Roger whimpered and moved his hips. Andy closed his eyes for a second to try to control his own rising lust. He slowly rocked his fingers in and out of Roger, jolting when Roger screamed out his name and came with a rush. 

He swallowed every last drop, then licked up and down Roger's cock as it softened. He pulled back and wiggled his fingers. "Are you ready?" 

"More?" Roger asked, blinking at him. 

Andy chuckled and nodded. "More. If you want it that is..." 

"I want, please, Andy, I want." Roger wiggled his hips on Andy's fingers. Andy wasn't too surprised when his lover's cock twitched. He slipped his fingers out and coated himself with more oil, then rubbed a little more on Roger's hole before positioning himself. He lifted and spread Roger's leg as he started to push in, watching Roger's face and body for any signs of pain of fear. 

Seeing none, he continued to press into Roger until he was buried all the way. He paused, nearly whimpering at the tight warmth wrapped around him. "Are you okay, sweet thing?" he asked his voice slightly strangled. 

Roger whimpered and wriggled. "Andy... please...." 

"Please what? You want me to move or you want me to pull out?" 

"Move... please... move..." 

Andy smiled and leaned forward, driving himself into Roger even more as he kissed his lover deeply. He ground his hips against Roger's until Roger was mewling. He sat up and lifted Roger's hips and started to rock in and out of his lover, groaning when Roger begged for more. Clenching his hands tighter, he started to pound into his lover, harder and harder until Roger cried out his name and came all over their stomachs. Andy growled and thrust into Roger one last time, howling as he filled him up. 

He caught himself on his elbows and smiled at Roger, his eyes half-lidded. "You okay?" he asked nuzzling his nose against Roger's. 

"Mmmmhmmmmm..." Roger closed his eyes and smiled. "Can we do that again, soon?" 

Andy chuckled and shifted out of Roger. He grabbed his shirt from the floor and wiped them both off a little before pulling Roger into his arms. "We can do that again... in a while. Gimme some time to recover first, okay?" 

Roger snuggled against his side and nodded. "Ich leibe dich," he whispered. 

"What's that mean, anyhow?" Andy asked, stroking Roger's hair. 

"I love you," Roger replied, kissing Andy's shoulder. 

"Ah. I love you too, Roger." Andy smiled as his words were met with a snore. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, hoping that they would catch up to Mardy before he got too far away.


	10. North by Northwest

Several days later, Mardy huddled down in the stranger's barn, thankful that the woman who'd answered the door didn't question him too much about why he was looking for shelter so late at night. He sniffled and wrapped the blanket she'd allowed him tighter around his shoulders. He was cold and lonely, but he knew he couldn't go back. He couldn't take Tommy's happiness away from him... and Marat was Tommy's happiness. He'd seen that for himself when Tommy talked of his ex-lover. 

_Well, now they can be together and they don't have to worry about me. And Andy can concentrate on Roger, instead of worrying about me all the time,_ he thought as he finally drifted off to sleep. He had contemplated heading West, then realized Andy would know where to look for him, if he bothered to look. So, he decided to head North to Montana. He figured he could ride during the nights and bunk down during the days. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep, unaware that Andy was following his path. 

 

Andy watched Tommy and Roger and knew their energy was flagging as they reached Colorado Springs, Colorado. It had been a hard few days and he was pushing them awfully hard. He rode into the town, Tommy and Roger staying close. He stopped in front of a saloon a friend in Texas had told him about. "C'mon. We'll at least have a roof over our heads for a night." He reached up, helping Roger slide off the horse. Roger leaned against his side for a moment, getting his feet under him. 

Tommy slid down and leaned against his horse. "Wouldn't he have gone West, not North?" 

Andy shook his head and nodded at a couple of women who passed. He could tell they were checking out Tommy, but he was oblivious. "No. Mardy would expect me to look for him out West, but he'd head North to avoid being found. He's probably heading for Montana.... look, Doc, you can go back any time. The only reason I agreed to let you come with was because Roger asked me to let you." 

Tommy clenched his jaw and followed Andy and Roger into the saloon. Andy leaned against the bar, ignoring the people around them. "Hey, any chance you've seen a friend of mine in here?" 

"Well, that depends, son," the grizzled old barkeep said, leaning against the bar. "What's this friend look like?" 

"He's my height, longish, yellow hair, bright blue eyes. Good-looking almost to the point of being pretty." 

"Would that be him?" the barkeep asked pointing towards the back of the saloon. 

Andy turned and spotted a man similar to his description but no where near as good looking as Mardy. "Nah. My friend is actually better looking than him." 

"Could be the man out at the Sharapova place," one of the patrons suggested. "Miss Maria did just let that man move into the barn for a few days to rest and he's been helping her out." 

Andy narrowed his eyes. "Tell me... was he riding a buckskin coloured horse? Black mane? About fifteen hands or so?" 

"Yeah. Crazy horse nearly trampled a couple people when he tore through town," another man stated from Andy's other side.

Andy turned his head and noticed the Sheriff's badge immediately. "Can you tell me how to get out to this... Sharapova place, Sheriff?" 

"Well, now... that depends on what you want with that man. Word has it Miss Maria's taken a liking to him." 

Andy smiled slightly. "He's my best friend and... well, I just want to talk to him. I'm not going to force him back home, if that's what you're worried about." 

"Nah, actually, you'd be doing some of the men in this town a favour if you did make him leave. Miss Maria's just about the only single woman in this town who's not a whore and her having that man on her farm with no supervision is making her look bad." 

"Well, I will try my best to convince him to come with me." 

"Her place is about two miles outside town to the North. You can't miss it as long as you stay on the trail." 

"Thanks for the help, Sheriff." Andy turned and noticed Roger looking worse for the wear. He spun back to the barkeep and asked, "Can we get some food before we head out there?" 

"Miss Lindsay down the street offers meals. We just offer liquor." The barkeep shrugged and headed back down the bar to attend to his customers. 

Andy thanked him and led the way outside. He headed straight for the restaurant, barely remembering to take his hat off as they stepped inside. A young girl stepped up and looked Andy up and down. "What do you want?" she asked, rolling her eyes. 

"Annie! Get back into the kitchen!" Another young girl -- well, more of a woman, Andy reasoned, came into view and smiled. "Sorry about her. What can I do for you boys?" 

"A table and some food would be good." Andy smiled back. 

She led the way to a table and offered glasses of water before asking what they'd like to eat. Andy ordered for all three of them, noting that Tommy was about to pass out and Roger looked like he was going to fall asleep any second. When the lady returned, Andy asked her, "Any chance you could tell me of a hotel or some place we could bunk for the night?" 

"Well... as a matter of fact, there's a big to do in town this weekend and there's no rooms available. You might want to try the Sharapova place. Maria's always willing to help out weary travelers." 

Andy nodded and thanked her as a plate full of fried chicken and mashed potatoes appeared in front of him. He thanked the girl, Annie, and started to dig in. He kept a close eye on what Roger ate, encouraging Roger to eat more when it looked like he was about to push his plate away. He even tried to coax Tommy into eating more. 

After they finished their meal, they headed out to the Sharapova place. Andy bounded up the steps to the front door, knocking loudly. A beautiful girl opened the door and narrowed her eyes at him. "Can I help you?" she asked, sounding just a little nervous. 

"I was wondering a couple of things... I think a friend of mine may be here. His name is Mardy and he's about my height, blondish hair, good-looking, blue eyes? And second, may my traveling companions and I bunk down in your barn for the night?" 

"Mardy left this morning. Said he had someplace to get to. But you and your friends are welcome to bunk in the barn." 

"He didn't happen to tell you where he was headed, did he?" 

"Said he was going to a town called Blue Belle, in Montana. A friend of his works up there and has a job for him." 

Andy frowned and thanked the girl before leading Roger and Tommy out to the barn. He brushed the horses down and turned to ask Tommy a question. He worried he'd been pushing the two men too hard. They were both fast asleep, curled together. 

He sighed and finished cooling the horses off before he crawled into the makeshift bed with his lover and Tommy. 

 

Tommy woke the next morning to find a dog hunched over him growling. He jolted and stared at the animal for a few moments until the dog backed off enough for him to sit up. He glanced around the empty barn and swore under his breath. It appeared he'd been deserted. 

He was tempted to let the big dog just have him for lunch when a shadow fell over him. He looked up and frowned at Roger. "Wha... I thought you and Andy had left." 

Roger shook his head and petted the dog on its head. "Andy... he's up at the house, paying the lady for letting us stay here. We were going to leave you... but... Andy could not do it." 

"But you could've?" 

"Ja. You hurt Mardy... he was doing well, letting people touch him and telling us his problems... then you had to hurt him. I will never forgive you for that. The only reason I asked Andy to allow you to come along was I hoped we'd find Mardy and he'd shoot you." Roger turned and headed back outside, followed by the dog. 

Tommy crawled out from under the blankets and folded them before placing them in his saddle bags. He was just attaching the bags to his saddle when Andy joined them. 

"Okay, it's about a week's ride to Blue Belle. If we don't stop to rest, we may catch up to Mardy before he gets there." 

"What is this Blue Belle? Is it like your town? Named for a flower?" Roger asked as he swung himself onto his horse. Tommy stayed silent as he wondered the same thing. 

"You know Mardy's place back in Bluebonnet? The whore that used to own the place had a town named after her... I guess the townsfolk don't mind that she's a whore." 

"Is she still?" 

"Last I heard she was... in fact, last I heard she owned a brothel up there. Only one person in that town that Mardy knows and it's her. He told Miss Sharapova that he had a job up there. Two guesses as to what he's planning on doing." Andy glared at Tommy and nudged his horse into a gallop. "Let's ride, boys!" 

Roger scowled at Tommy and urged his horse after Andy. Tommy sent a silent prayer up that they would find Mardy before it was too late. 

 

Mardy swore as Diavolo slammed to a halt, sending him head first over his horse's head. "Stupid fucking horse!" he snarled. He started to stand, then heard a familiar rattling sound. He froze and closed his eyes as the rattling got louder. 

A gun shot sounded out, causing him to jolt but the rattle was gone. He opened his eyes and looked to his left and saw the rattle snake split in two. He rolled to his side and threw up the measly lunch he'd eaten. 

Someone was jabbering at him in some language he couldn't understand. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up. His eyes widened at the sight of the very young, very beautiful man standing in front of him. He looked like an Indian, but Mardy wasn't sure. He shook his head. "I'm sorry... I don't understand you." 

"I apologize for Rafael. He is... not too good with English. He wants to know if you are all right?" Another equally good looking man comes into view. 

"Rafael? He's not an Indian then?" 

"No. We are Spanish. But we moved to Montana to escape the Mexican armies. I am Carlos. And you are?" 

"Mardy... Fish." Mardy shoved himself to his feet and called Diavolo to his side. "Thank you. I.. thank you." 

"You are welcome." Carlos smiled and looked over his horse. "A beautiful animal." 

"Thank you. Diavolo is amazing." 

"Devil?" 

"He runs like he's being chased by the devil," Mardy replied with a smile. 

"Ah. You are okay?" 

Mardy nodded slowly. "Yes, thank you both." He smiled at the younger man who beamed back. 

"Would you like to join us for supper? We are camped just over the hill." 

"I would, thank you." Mardy mounted his horse and followed the two men into their camp. He let Diavolo graze as he joined the two Spaniards at the camp fire. 

"What bring you to Montana?" Rafael asked, his English slow and heavily accented. 

"A friend of mine has a job for me out in Blue Belle." Mardy looked down at the ground and shook his head. "I guess I'm also kind of running away. The man I thought loved me... loves another." 

"You run instead of confronting him? Why?" 

"Rafa!" Carlos snapped. 

"No, it's okay. I ran because he's been with this other man for longer than he's known me. A lot longer than he's known me. I want him to be happy and he loves this other man. He just feels sorry for me." 

"Feels sorry for you?" Carlos asked. 

Mardy nodded. "I... he's a doctor and he's helped heal me... or sort of... but... never mind." 

"Why he feels sorry for you?" Rafael asked, leaning forward and staring at Mardy. 

"Just drop it. It doesn't matter why, he just does. It's over and I'm never going back. Ever." 

"But..." 

"Rafa, he doesn't want to talk about it. Go to the creek and fill the flask will you?" 

"Si," Rafael said as he stood up. 

Mardy sighed and thanked Carlos as he handed him a plate. He dug into the simple meal of beans and cornbread like he hadn't eaten in a week. He reminded himself that the last real meal he'd eaten had been the picnic with Andy, Roger and Tommy. Since then he'd been living on jerky and water. That had been over two weeks ago. 

He smiled suddenly realizing that he'd managed to escape without Andy finding him. Just a couple more days and he'd be in Blue Belle and he could forget all about Tommy and Roger and Andy and everything else he'd left behind.


	11. Blue Belle, Montana

Andy walked down the street, Tommy and Roger hot on his heels. He'd found directions to the brothel just outside of town and was headed there immediately. He hadn't even let Roger or Tommy get any sleep. 

He stepped over the threshold and flinched as an overly painted woman approached. "Well, hi there, sugar." 

"Belle here?" Andy asked, pushing Roger behind him. 

"Yeah, sugar, but do you really want an old lady? I'm sure I could satisfy you." 

Andy snorted and clamped his hand over Roger's mouth. "I'm not looking for sex, I'm looking for Belle. Can you go get her for me?" 

"I guess sugar..." the woman said, eyeballing Tommy. "What about you, gorgeous? You interested?" 

Tommy glared. "Never." 

The woman shrugged and glanced at Roger, whose face was screwed up in disgust. She rolled her eyes and headed towards the back of the house. 

A few moments later, a tall, buxom blonde came out. Andy smiled and disentangled himself from Roger, stepping forward. "Belle." 

"My God. Andy Roddick as I live and breathe!" She wrapped her arms around Andy and squeezed him tight. "How are you, baby?" 

"I'm good, Belle. How've you been?" 

"Good, good. Did you come up with Mardy? I knew that boy wouldn't stay in Texas forever. Especially not without someone to take care of." 

Andy blinked. "Mardy's not here yet?" 

"He didn't come with you?" 

"No. We're looking for him. This is my lover Roger and his brother, Tommy. Belle, I love you, and I respect why you do what you do, but you can't let Mardy whore himself out for you." 

"Baby, he's not gonna be one of my whores. He's coming to help me protect 'em. I've had some problems with some of the women getting beaten and I'm hardly good with a gun and none of my girls will carry one.... so, when Mardy sent a telegram asking if he could join me, I asked if he wanted to be a whore. He asked if I had any other work, so I asked if he'd come help protect 'em." 

"Oh. Regardless, Belle... please, turn Mardy away. I need him back in Bluebonnet." 

"Way he sounded when I got the last telegram from him, last thing he wants is to go back to Texas for any reason. Something about some man he loves not loving him in return and being in love with someone else... and something about this man leading him on and making him feel dirtier than he'd ever felt when he was a whore." Belle raised an eyebrow and looked directly at Tommy. "I'm guessing that's you from the guilty expression on your face. You should be very happy I don't know how to shoot a gun or you'd be dead where you stand." She turned her attention back to Andy. "You and your lover are welcome to stay here, but this... thing that hurt my Mardy isn't welcome in my house." 

Andy bit his lip and nodded. "Thank you, Belle, but we've got a room at the hotel in town. If... if Mardy shows up, will you tell him I'm here and I want to talk to him?" 

"You gonna let this thing over here hurt him again?" 

"No. Tommy's going to apologize, then leave." 

Tommy opened his mouth to protest but fell silent at the glare Roger and Andy sent his way. 

Andy continued, "Roger and I are going to try to convince Mardy to come home with us. Even if he can't stand the sight of Tommy, he's got people in town who care about him."

"Well, baby, I'll tell him you're here, but if he don't want to see you, I ain't gonna force him." 

"Thank you, Belle." Andy hugged the woman one last time and led his small entourage back into town to the hotel. He wrapped his arm around Roger's shoulders and held him close. "You hungry, sweet thing?" 

"A little." 

Andy nodded. "Let's grab some food, then we can head on up and grab a nap." 

 

Tommy sat back and watched Andy and Roger head upstairs for a nap. He wrote out a quick note and pinned it to their door before heading out. He climbed on his horse, groaning. They'd been riding for too many days and nights with not nearly enough rest, but Tommy was worried that Mardy wasn't in town yet. He'd had at least a day on them and should've been here. 

Even though he didn't have a clue as to where to look for Mardy, he had to find him and talk to him. He was sure that even if Mardy did go to talk to Andy, neither Andy nor Roger would let him near Mardy. If nothing else, Tommy had to tell Mardy that he had acted wrongly and apologize. He was planning on letting Mardy decide whether he stayed or left. 

Several hours later it was starting to get dark, but he could see three horses off in the distance. He headed for the horses, hoping the people were friendly. 

 

Mardy smiled as Rafael straddled his hips. After listening to him speaking with Carlos in Spanish, he finally understood why he couldn't understand him earlier. Rafael simply spoke to fast for him to decipher what he was saying, so he'd asked Rafael to speak English or at least slow down when he talked. 

"You are beautiful," Rafael said as he leaned down and kissed Mardy deeply. 

Mardy groaned and pushed Rafael back. "No. Don't, please... you're stunning, you really are, but... I'm in love with someone else and... I don't think I could do anything with you anyhow." 

"Why not?" Carlos asked, rubbing his hand over Rafael's thigh. 

"Because... I'm not in love with either of you. I don't even know you." 

"But you said yourself that you had barely met your Tommy before you were in love with him." 

Shrugging, Mardy sighed. "Yeah, I know. But... that's different. When I looked at Tommy, I swear, I'd found my soulmate. Obviously, he didn't feel the same, but... he's the one I want. If I can't have him, I won't have anyone." 

Rafael frowned and crawled off his lap, snuggling against Mardy's side. Mardy blinked, suddenly missing Roger fiercely. He stroked his hand over Rafael's shoulder absently. He jumped when Rafael began stroking his cock. "Rafael, no!" He moved away and stood up. "Thank you both for your hospitality the last couple of days. If you're ever in Blue Belle, look me up." 

Carlos stood and followed Mardy to his horse. "I am sorry about him. He's... a little..." 

"It's okay. Not your fault. Just not used to being... groped." 

Carlos chuckled and helped Mardy onto Diavolo. "You'll be safe." 

Mardy patted his gun and smiled. "I'm a good shot." They both looked up and over at the sound of an approaching horse. Mardy's expression clouded and he tightened his grip on Diavolo's reins. "Haas." 

"Mardy, finally. I found you..." Tommy swallowed hard as his horse danced away from Carlos and Rafael, who had joined Mardy's side. 

Rafael reached up and slid his hand up Mardy's thigh. "Is this your Tommy?" he asked softly. 

Mardy nodded, not taking his eyes off Tommy. "What are you doing here, Haas?" 

"Haas?" Tommy sighed and nodded. "I suppose I deserve that. Mardy, I am so sorry for what I did." 

"What did you do?" Mardy bit his lip and tried not to jump to forgive Tommy. He wanted to forgive him, but his heart hurt when he thought about Tommy talking about Marat. 

"Speaking of Marat and not noticing you leaving until it was too late. Liebling, I know I made it sound like I did not love you, but I do. I love you so much it scares me. I cannot deny that I do love Marat, but not in the way I love you. I felt I owed him for saving my life and he is one of my closest, dearest friends, but when I look into the future, I see you." Tommy hung his head. "Or rather, I saw you. I know you do not want me any longer so I will make you a deal. Go back to Bluebonnet. I will leave. I'll head back to New York or St. Louis... anywhere just so you don't leave Andy and Roger." 

"You'd do that? You'd leave Bluebonnet just to make me happy?" 

"I would do anything you want to make you happy, Mardy." 

"I... Are you alone? Where are Andy and Roger?" 

"In Blue Belle. We've been following you since you left." 

Mardy sighed. "I guess I should've known Andy would be able to track me down." 

"He knew you would not go West, though that would be the more logical choice." 

Mardy chuckled and shook his head. "Let's go to Blue Belle." 

He turned to Rafael and Carlos and smiled. "Thank you." 

"Adios, mi amigo. Best of luck," Carlos said, stepping back as Mardy turned his horse and took off. 

Tommy followed Mardy, though not closely and he was losing ground quickly. Diavolo was just too fast and Mardy wasn't waiting for him. 

 

Andy woke up with a groan and rolled over, ready to pull Roger into his arms. He frowned when he realized Roger wasn't in bed with him. "Rog?" 

"Over here," Roger said, a bit too happily, Andy thought, considering they were here looking for Mardy. Andy opened his eyes and sat up quickly. 

"Mardy!" He scrambled off the bed and tackled his friend, hugging him fiercely. 

Roger giggled and jumped on top of them both. "He's coming back to Bluebonnet with us!" 

"Really? You're coming back with us?" Andy kissed Mardy on the lips then rolled off him. He grabbed Roger and spun him around. He stopped suddenly and set Roger on his feet. "Why?" he asked suspiciously. 

"Tommy found me." Mardy shrugged, then smiled. "Does it really matter?" 

"No, I guess not." Andy smiled and hugged Mardy. "As long as you come home with us."

Roger snuggled against Mardy's side and petted Mardy's chest. "He's staying with us in our room, okay?" 

"Fine by me, sweet thing. Though he should probably at least go say hi to Belle at some point." 

"I will. And Roger, I think I should leave you and Andy alone." Mardy smiled as Roger clung to him. "Why not?" 

"Andy has said we will not have sex in some strange hotel... and besides, Tommy is next door and it would be rude." Roger giggled and snuggled against Mardy. "Besides, I want you to stay because I am not letting you go." 

Andy laughed and kissed Roger's forehead. "Don't argue with my lover, Fishy. You won't like losing." He yawned and stood up. "Rog, I'm going to go get some food. Should I bring you up something?" 

"Please." Roger snuggled against Mardy and grinned. 

Mardy chuckled. "Why don't we go with you? I could eat." 

"Good." Andy tugged Mardy and Roger to their feet and hugged them both tightly. He kissed the side of Mardy's head and hung on a little longer. "Fishy, if you ever take off like that again, I'm shooting you in the ass." 

Mardy burst into laughter as they headed downstairs. "You're ridiculous." 

 

Tommy came downstairs a little while later and found the three of them smushed together on the porch, hanging on to one another. He sighed and sat across from them. "I am going to head home. I will pack my belongings and be out of your way... probably before you get back." He couldn't meet any of their eyes.

He didn't notice as Mardy disentangled himself until Mardy touched his knee. "You don't have to leave Bluebonnet, Tommy... I don't want you to leave." Tommy looked into Mardy's eyes. "Can we start over? Be friends and... maybe someday be more?" 

"Mardy, are you sure about this?" 

"Shut up, Andy. I love him. I know he hurt me... hell, my heart still aches because of it. But I love him and I don't know if I can deal without him." Mardy turned back to Tommy. "Please?" 

"Are you sure, Liebling?" 

"I'm sure. Tommy, I can't... we can't do anything... maybe not ever, but I don't want to be without you." 

Tommy nodded as he rubbed his hands along his pant leg. He was itching to touch Mardy, but he knew his touch would not be welcome. "I'll go back tomorrow morning. But, I'll stay in Bluebonnet." 

"Thank you," Mardy said, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Tommy's lips. 

 

"Roger, what's wrong?" Andy asked as Roger climbed to his feet and started stalking down the street. "Sweet thing..." Andy growled and followed Roger. They walked in silence for a while until they were well away from the hotel. Andy grabbed Roger's arm. "What is wrong with you?" 

"How can he just forgive him? Tommy made him feel like... like he didn't belong... like he wasn't loved and he just forgave him!?" 

"Are you mad at Mardy for forgiving the man he loves?" 

"Yes!" Roger sighed and sniffled. "He hurt Mardy and he hurt you by hurting Mardy. How can you both forget that?" 

"Sweet thing, neither of us is forgetting that. Mardy loves him and isn't just jumping back into the relationship. He's going to take his time. I'm just supporting Mardy's decision and you should too." 

"I don't want him to be hurt again!" 

"Do you really think that little of Tommy?" Andy turned to smile at Mardy. 

Mardy crossed to them and cupped Roger's face in his hands. "Tommy screwed up, but... maybe I overreacted." He held up his hand to forestall any objections. "I could've just smacked Tommy upside his head instead of running. Regardless, he made a mistake. The point is I love him more than anything. Loving him makes me feel..." Mardy sighed and shook his head. "I didn't realize it until I got in touch with Belle. She asked if I wanted a job and my first instinct was to tell her I didn't want to whore myself out. I never wanted anyone to look at me like that ever again. So I asked if she had anything else... he made me feel horrible, but at the same time, I know that it's because of him that I didn't want to go back to being a whore." 

"But you cried... and Andy cried..." 

Mardy frowned and turned to Andy. "You cried?" 

"You left. All I could think about was you left me." Andy shrugged and looked away, his eyes tearing up. 

Mardy let go of Roger and wrapped his arms around Andy. "I didn't leave you. I left to get away from Tommy." Mardy nuzzled against Andy's neck. "I love you, Andy. You're my best friend and my brother. I would've kept in contact with you." 

"I know that, Fishy. But... you just left. Did you honestly think I wouldn't have protected you from him?" Andy buried his face against Mardy's shoulder, trying not to cry. 

"Maybe for once I wanted to protect myself." Mardy pulled back and lifted Andy's head. "Ever since we were sixteen, you've protected me. Guarded me from everyone around us. You've got Roger to protect now and it's past time I started protecting myself." 

"I'll never stop protecting you, Fishy. Ever. You're the reason I accepted the position of Sheriff. If you hadn't encouraged me, I would've just... been... I dunno. Probably would've just sat at home doing nothing." 

"You could never sit still that long." Mardy chuckled through his tears. 

Andy laughed as well and sniffled. "I swear, Mardy, you ever leave me again, I will shoot you." 

"Eh, you're not that good." Mardy wiped at his nose and hugged Andy tightly. He turned to Roger and smiled. "Thank you for watching out for Andy... and for me. But, I love Tommy as much as you love Andy. I know I ran away, but I didn't expect to see him ever again... and seeing him again, I realized, I don't ever want to lose him again. Even if he and I are never more than friends, I want him to be a part of my life." 

Roger nodded slowly. "I guess I understand that. I just... I hate that he hurt you." 

"I'm not real thrilled he hurt me either." Mardy reached out and pulled Roger into the hug with Andy. "I missed you, Roger." 

Roger smiled and snuggled against Mardy. "You'll sleep in mine and Andy's room then, ja?" 

"I...." 

"Say yes, Mardy," Andy said, rubbing one hand down Mardy's back and holding Roger against his side with the other. 

"Yes, Mardy," Mardy said, smirking. 

"Brat."

Mardy laughed and hugged them both. "Let's get to bed. I'm tired." 

Andy nodded and tightened his grip on both men as they walked back to the hotel. 

 

On the way into the hotel, they ran into Tommy who was sitting there with a whiskey bottle. Mardy extricated himself from the other two with the promise of joining them in a few minutes. Roger went reluctantly as Andy pulled him up the stairs. "You know, drinking never really solves anything." 

"Makes the pain go away," Tommy said, taking another swig. 

"No. It just masks the pain," Mardy replied, sitting next to Tommy. He took the bottle and drank a bit, wincing. "Damn, this is horrible stuff." 

"Not bad." 

"It's horrible. This has to be the cheapest whiskey I've ever tasted." 

"Doesn't matter. It's liquor." 

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Mardy sighed and scooted closer to Tommy. "You wanna talk about it?" 

"The love of my life despises me, my best friend and brother can't bear to look at me, his lover wants to shoot me and I'm sure would've if it weren't for you... gee, what could possibly be wrong?" Tommy took another swig from the bottle. 

Mardy frowned and hit Tommy in the arm. "I don't despise you. Despite what you did, I still love you! I just can't jump back into your arms... I need time. As for Roger, he's upset because you hurt Andy... and you hurt me, but I really think this is more about you making Andy... or rather me making Andy cry. Andy, he wouldn't shoot you. Despite his... tendency to go for his gun, he'd never shoot an unarmed man. Punch 'em, sure." Mardy grabbed the bottle from Tommy and stood up. "You should go to bed." 

"You're not my lover! You can't tell me what to do! Give me back the bottle!" 

"No. I'm not your lover yet, but I can tell you what to do." Mardy walked away and dumped the remainder of the bottle out. "You are not going to sit out here feeling sorry for yourself, getting drunk. Get your gorgeous ass upstairs and into bed!" 

Tommy blinked and stood up unsteadily. "Can't sleep... I can't close my eyes without seeing the expression on your face as you rode away... I think I managed one night of sleep the entire trip and that was because I thought Roger had forgiven me because he curled up with me! Don't make me go to sleep..." His eyes filled and he turned away. "Please... I can't..." 

Mardy sighed and wrapped his arms around Tommy, resting his head on the back of Tommy's shoulder. "Shhhh, you don't have to sleep, you just have to go upstairs and go to bed. C'mon. I'll go with you." 

Mardy led Tommy upstairs and into his room where he stripped off Tommy's clothes and tucked him into bed. He sat there, stroking Tommy's hair until he finally fell asleep. He went across the hall to Roger and Andy's room and found Roger waiting up for him. Andy was fast asleep beside his lover. "I'm going to crash with Tommy," Mardy said, looking away when Roger scowled at him. 

"Why? He hurt you!" 

"Roger, I know that... but he hasn't slept in days." 

"None of us has!" 

"But you've caught naps -- a couple hours here a couple hours there, yeah?" Roger nodded and Mardy continued. "Well, Tommy hasn't. He hasn't slept at all since... one night he thought you forgave him because you curled up with him. He's hurting just as badly as I am. I love him and I can't stand to see him this distressed. I'm going to go to his room and sleep with him. Maybe he'll sleep better if he knows I'm there." 

"I just don't see..." 

"Rog, he was crying! In tears because he's scared to sleep. What he did haunts him. I'm not saying you have to forgive him, but I do. Now, I'm sorry if this disappoints you or makes you think less of me... but I need to go to my love." Mardy sighed and left the room. 

He entered Tommy's room quietly, but when he turned to the bed, Tommy was sitting on the edge, his head in his hands. "Why'd you let me sleep?" 

"Because you need it. I was just telling Roger there'd been a change of plans. I'm sleeping in here tonight." Mardy stripped off his clothes and piled them on top of Tommy's before crawling into the bed. "If you want to... I'd like it if you'd snuggle with me. You don't have to, but I want you to." 

Tommy turned and frowned. "Why are you doing this?" 

"Because I love you and I hate seeing you this worn out and this tired and this upset." Mardy shrugged and tucked his hand under the pillow. "I'm sleeping in your bed. You don't have to if you don't want to." He held up the covers. 

Tommy bit his lip, then slide under them, several inches from Mardy. "Well... okay. I'll... I'll stay and just... watch you sleep, okay?" 

Mardy nodded and scooted closer, wrapping himself around Tommy. He snuggled in and laid his head on Tommy's chest. Within minutes, Tommy was fast asleep. Mardy smiled to himself and kissed Tommy's chest. It wasn't perfect and they were far from being better, but it was a start.


	12. Shootout at the Whorehouse

Tommy woke up and yawned, stretching tired and sore muscles. He looked down at the unfamiliar weight on his chest and smiled. Mardy was fast asleep on his chest. He stroked the soft blonde hair and looked up at the ceiling. "I know I screwed up but... I just want to make him happy. Even if that means letting him go to someone new... please, let him be happy." 

"Let who be happy?" Mardy murmured, lifting his head and blinking. 

"You." Tommy bit his lip and slid off the bed. He grabbed his clothes and started to dress, stopping when Mardy's arms wrapped around his waist. "Mardy?" 

"I love you. I don't want anyone but you. I'm not ready for more than friendship, but don't start thinking that I'm going to just let you go. You're mine, Tommy and I'm not going to let you go." 

Tommy leaned back into Mardy's embrace. "I love you as well." 

"I know you do," Mardy said letting go of Tommy. "Are you going to head back on your own?" 

"Ja. I will let you and Roger and Andy be alone. I know they do not want me with." 

"What about what you want? What I want?" Mardy sighed and stroked his hand down Tommy's back. "I want you to go back to Bluebonnet with us. All four of us together." 

"But... I want to go with you as well." Tommy looked down and shook his head. "Andy and Roger would not agree." 

"Don't you get it? It doesn't matter if they agree or not. As long as you and I want it, then we will find a way to convince Andy and Roger and if they don't agree, they can go on their own and we'll go on our own." Mardy sighed. 

Tommy moved away and finished dressing. "I'm going to go get some breakfast." 

"I'll join you if you'll wait two minutes." Mardy crawled out of bed, wondering why he wasn't feeling shy about the fact that he was naked. He could feel Tommy's eyes on him and he smiled to himself. He hadn't felt weird or nervous even when Tommy had been naked. This was definitely a new sensation for Mardy but he thought he could get to like feeling this bold and open. 

He pulled on his clothes slowly, biting his lip to keep from laughing when Tommy groaned. He tucked his shirt in and turned to Tommy, smiling. "Hello there, my love. Are enjoying the show?" 

Tommy blushed and nodded slowly. He crossed tentatively to Mardy and leaned forward, "I am sorry I hurt you, Mardy." 

"I know you are. That's why you've been forgiven. Tommy, please, get over this guilt. You hurt me, but you're sorry for it, and it's been forgiven. It's over and done with and we should just move on." Mardy moved closer and kissed Tommy lightly, waiting for Tommy to respond. 

Tommy wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled Mardy closer. He deepened the kiss and changed its angle, sucking Mardy's tongue into his mouth. Mardy groaned and wrapped his arms around Tommy's neck. He tugged Tommy backwards with him until they fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs. 

Mardy slid his hands down Tommy's back and pulled his shirt out of his waistband, lifting it up to his shoulders and running his fingers over the hard flesh. Tommy groaned and arched against Mardy, grinding their hips together. Mardy yelped and pushed Tommy back. "Wait... wait..." he said, gasping for breath. "We're rushing..." 

Tommy scooted down Mardy's body a little. He dropped his head to Mardy's chest and sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." 

"No, no, no. Don't apologize, my love. I just... I'm not ready and I'm sorry for rushing it. I shouldn't have pulled us to the bed." Mardy took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he stroked his hands over Tommy's naked back. "We should go get breakfast, then I have to go see Belle and apologize for not being able to stay and help her out." 

Tommy nodded and snuggled against Mardy. "Does this mean we are working our way back to where we were?" 

"Yeah, I think it does." Mardy smiled and pushed Tommy off him, then helped him tuck his shirt in. He leaned forward and kissed him softly. "I love you and we will make this work." 

"We will." Tommy smiled and hugged Mardy. "Who knows, I may even be able to forgive myself at some point." 

Sighing, Mardy poked Tommy in the side. "You'd better. We've been over this. I'm the one who says when you're forgiven and you are forgiven!" 

Tommy chuckled and nodded. "As you say." 

Mardy rolled his eyes and was about to say something else when the door was flung open and Roger stood there, glaring at Tommy. "Mardy, Andy wishes to talk with you." 

"Tell him I'll meet him downstairs in a few minutes. I'm talking to Tommy right now." 

"He says it's about Belle. There's some guys there, and they hurt a couple of the girls." Roger crossed his arms and glared. 

Mardy pulled back from Tommy and grabbed his guns, strapping the belt around his waist. "You two stay back...." He looked at Roger and scowled. "Quit being such a brat, Roger. He's been forgiven. He made a mistake and he's been punished enough for it." 

He stalked past Roger and headed downstairs, finding Andy waiting for him outside. "What happened?" 

Andy sighed and started walking towards the edge of town. "Belle had one of her girls come get me. Seems some guys came in late last night and are holding them hostage. I wouldn't have asked you to join, but I don't know the law here and let's face it, after me, you're the best shot I know." 

"I'm a better shot than you, Andy." 

"This is true." Andy smiled grimly and continued walking and talking. "All I know is Belle is in there and she's terrified." 

"Look, there's the sheriff." 

Andy nodded and headed for the man. "Sheriff? I'm Andy Roddick." 

Mardy blinked as the man backed away quickly. " _The_ Andy Roddick? As in the guy that single-handedly killed the McEnroes?" 

"News travels fast... but I had help." 

"Not the way I heard it." The man stuck his hand out, smiling crookedly. "Name's Jurgen Melzer." 

"Pleasure. Now, what can me and my friend here do to help? He's the best shot I've ever seen, better than me by far." 

Mardy stuck his hand out and smiled bleakly. "Name's Mardy Fish. Belle's a good friend of ours. What can we do to help?" 

"Well, I'm trying to find volunteers to go around back and sneak inside, but no one's willing." 

"We are," Andy said at Mardy's nod.

Without waiting for the Sheriff's reply, the two friends started around back, being careful to stick to the shadows. They talked quietly about the best approach. Mardy went in first, moving softly towards the front room where they heard voices. He signaled to Andy to follow him. 

They crept forward, using hand signals to talk. Andy nodded once, and Mardy pointed towards the door, stopping when he noticed several girls -- very young girls, from the looks of them -- huddled together behind one of the open doors. Mardy waved his hand and Andy stopped, looking back. He frowned and shook his head, tilting it towards the front room. 

Mardy scowled and pointed at the girls, then towards the back door. Andy nodded and gestured to the girls to keep quiet and follow him. Mardy nodded encouragingly at them and gently pushed them into following Andy. He knew Andy was expecting him to follow, but he had a plan and he wasn't about to let Andy get hurt. He waited until the last girl was out of sight before walking calmly through the swinging door. He noticed the two men right away, and realized immediately, they were the type he'd always avoided when he was a whore. "Belle, how's it going?" he said, nodding at the woman he'd adored on sight back in Bluebonnet. He scowled when he realized one of her eyes was swollen shut and her lip was split. 

The two men had their guns trained on him and he silently gauged the wisdom of drawing down. He was good, he knew that, but was he good enough to take both of them at once? He thought of everything he had to lose and for the first time in his life, realized he didn't want to die. There had to be another way to kill these men and manage to get out alive himself. 

 

Andy swore loudly as he led the girls to safety. He had just realized Mardy wasn't with him. He grabbed one and asked her, "How many more people are in that house?" 

"My mama and a couple of the other ladies... please, Mister, we didn't do nothing bad." 

Andy blinked. "No, I didn't mean... I'm sorry. Look, just go find Sheriff Melzer and tell him to keep an eye out on the front of the house. I'm going back in." 

"But that's suicide, Mister. Those men have guns and they beat Mama up." 

"Your mama's name happen to be Belle?" 

"Yessir." 

Andy swore again and let the girl go. "Go to the sheriff! I'll... I'll do what I can to save her." He rushed back into the house, not as worried about being careful as he was before. He crept through the house and heard four shots ring out. He ran through the doors and stopped short, his eyes going wide. "Mardy?!"


	13. Aftermath

Mardy laid on the floor, in shock. They'd shot at him and he'd returned fire. He hadn't been hit. He couldn't get over the fact that he hadn't been hit. He stayed still, knowing Andy was screaming his name. He blinked rapidly and sent up a silent prayer, thanking God for saving him. 

Andy grabbed him and shook him, screaming, "Mardy! Please, Mardy, please, c'mon answer me!" 

"Stop shaking me, Andy," Mardy said finally, pushing Andy away and sitting up. He stared across the front room at the two men and shuddered. He'd shot men before, and he knew he was a good shot but that had been a little too close for his comfort. 

Andy hugged him, then pulled back and slugged him. "Bastard! How could you do that?!" 

Mardy held his hand to his jaw and stared at Andy as Andy hugged him again. "You... you... you just hit me!" 

"Well, don't do that shit! Trying to be hero?! What the hell were you thinking?" 

"I thought I could talk them down. Dammit, Andy, you hit me!" 

"I... I know. I'm sorry." Andy scowled. 

Mardy sighed and pushed Andy off him. "It's fine." He climbed to his feet and looked over at the men, then turned to Belle and the women who were huddled around her. "Are all of you all right?" 

Belle nodded and managed to climb to her feet. She stepped forward, nearly falling. Mardy caught her and held on as she started to cry. "Oh baby! I was so scared for you!" 

Hugging her, Mardy frowned. "Scared for me? But... you're the ones who were being held hostage." 

"You're the one who busted in here and had a shootout with those men." Belle pulled back and stroked Mardy's face. "Thank you, honey. Thank you so much." 

Mardy smiled and hugged Belle. "I'm just glad you're all right." 

Belle pulled back and smiled. Mardy winced internally at the split lip and swollen eye. "C'mon, Belle. Tommy's a doctor and he can help." 

"Tommy? That that boy that hurt you?" 

Mardy sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I've forgiven him. And the way I see it, if I'm not mad at him, no one else should be either. I'm the one he hurt." 

"But, honey, we all love you and seeing you hurting hurts us too. So, don't go being mad at people for not forgiving him right away." Belle patted his head and allowed Mardy to help her out the front door. Andy walked ahead of them and met up with the Sheriff. 

Mardy smiled and nodded. "You're right. I hadn't thought of it that way." 

They caught up to Jurgen, who was standing with the girls and Tommy and Roger. Roger flung himself at Andy and clung to his lover. Mardy glanced at the sweet picture they made and smiled shyly at Tommy. "Hasi, will you check Belle out? Make sure she's okay?" 

Tommy nodded, stepping forward. He looked at Roger, then at Andy, then to Belle, before pulling Mardy into his arms and holding him tight. "Please, don't ever do anything as foolish as this ever again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you," he whispered into Mardy's ear. He pulled back and looked down at his hands. "Mardy?! You're bleeding?" 

Mardy frowned and looked down. "No, I'm not... I haven't been shot." His eyes widened and he turned to Belle. "Belle?" 

She blinked at him and looked down, noticing the blood dripping down her chest. "I..." 

Tommy caught her just as she started to pass out. Mardy bit his lip and helped Tommy carry her down the street to their hotel, two of the girls following behind, whimpering. As they laid Belle down on a spare bed in the hotel, Mardy turned and scooped the littlest girl up in his arms. "C'mon, darlin's. You come with me. What's your name, little lady?" He held his hand out to the older one and smiled at her. 

"Jewel." She stared up at Mardy with bright blue eyes. 

"That's a pretty name. How 'bout you?" he looked down at the older child. 

She stared up at Mardy and narrowed her eyes. "Scarlet. Who're you?" 

"Well, my name is Mardy and I'm a friend of your Mama's.... at least, I'm guessing Belle's your mama?" 

Scarlet nodded, her eyes wide. "Are you the man from Texas?" 

"Yeah, I'm from Texas." Mardy took the girls into the dining area and sat down at a table with them. "How old are you, Scarlet?" 

"I'm seven." She looked around the big room and frowned slightly. "Is Mama gonna be okay?" 

"I hope so, sweetheart. Tommy's an excellent doctor and he'll take good care of her." He reached out and patted Scarlet's hair. 

Jewel tugged on his sleeve and smiled up at him. He grinned back, wondering why she looked so familiar. "How old are you, pretty Jewel?" 

She wrinkled her nose in thought, then lifted her hand and held out two fingers. "That many." 

"Two years old?" Mardy thought about that then his eyes shot up to the door where Belle was with Tommy. "Oh... your mama ever tell you who your daddy is?" 

Jewel shrugged. Scarlet nodded. "Mama said Jewel's daddy's the man from Texas. Is that you?" 

Mardy blinked down into Jewel's bright blue eyes and then looked at Scarlet. "I don't know, hon. I think it might be..." 

 

Andy held onto Roger and thanked Jurgen. He looked down at the remaining girls and urged them towards the hotel. "C'mon, ladies." He eyed the whores in the group and looked back at the children. "These your little girls?" 

One of the whores nodded. "Yessir... but they stay in the back out of sight. None of the men lays a hand on them." 

"Until they're older?" Andy scowled and shook his head. "Sorry, that was uncalled for." They entered the hotel dining room and the women sat down with their girls. Andy and Roger headed for Mardy. "You okay, Fishy?" 

"Huh? Yeah... can you two stay with Scarlet and Jewel here? I want to go check on Belle." 

Roger started to protest but Andy agreed before he could get the words out. They sat down and Andy pulled the smaller girl onto his lap. "Hey there, darlin'. What's your name?" 

"Jewel." Andy smiled at how cute she was and then jolted. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. She was practically the spitting image of Mardy, only much smaller and blonder. "Mardy..." 

Roger frowned at Andy. "What's wrong?" 

"She... she looks like him," Andy said, shifting her so Roger could get a good look at her. 

"So? He can't be her father, can he?" Roger asked, staring at the girl. 

"I don't know... how old are you, Jewel?" 

"This many," she replied holding up two fingers for him. 

Andy frowned and added up the years he and Mardy had been in Bluebonnet. He swallowed hard and glanced at Roger. "Every possibility he could be." 

"But how? He likes men...." 

"He and Belle were really close, but I don't know... he never told me that they had sex, but they could've...." Andy shrugged and looked up as Mardy joined them, with a haunted look in his eyes. "Fishy?" 

"I...." He took a deep breath and pulled Scarlet onto his lap. "Jewel, honey, c'mere." He held his arms out and Jewel slid off Andy's lap and crawled into Mardy's. "I talked to Belle, briefly... Jewel, I guess... I'm your daddy." He frowned and looked up at Andy. "I'll explain later." He focused back on the two children. "Scarlet, Jewel, your Mama... she's... she didn't make it. Tommy did everything he could, but he wasn't able to stop the bleeding." 

Mardy held the two little girls as they started to cry and Andy frowned. He stood up and hopped the stairs, two at a time, finding Tommy sitting in a chair with his head in his hands. "I tried... I really tried... I just... I couldn't..." 

Andy felt himself softening and he knelt next to Tommy, rubbing his shoulder. "You did everything you could've possibly done. It's okay, Tommy, you did good." 

Tommy sobbed, then threw his arms around Andy's neck, burying his face against Andy's shoulder. "I should've saved her... her children...." 

Andy jolted and patted Tommy's back awkwardly. "We'll take care of the kids, Tommy. You did your best. You can't be expected to do anything else." 

"What're you doing?" Roger asked from the doorway. 

Andy looked over and frowned. "Rog, he just lost a patient, try to have some sympathy." 

Roger looked down, nodding slowly. "I'm sorry, Andy." 

"Don't apologize to me, sweet thing. I think you owe Tommy the apology." Andy shifted and pushed Tommy back onto the chair. He patted his back. "C'mon, Tommy, let's get you out of the room and go tell the Sheriff that Belle... well, I'll take you to Mardy and he'll hold you, I'm sure." Andy shifted to his feet, wondering how he was going to manage the stairs with Tommy clinging to him. 

Roger helped him out by moving between them and hugging Tommy. "I'm sorry," he whispered. Andy smiled and brushed his hand over Roger's hair. Roger turned and smiled crookedly, but led the way downstairs, Tommy hanging on to his hand. 

Andy pushed Roger and Tommy towards the table and headed out, finding Jurgen talking to a couple of his deputies by the house. "Belle's gone," Andy said after they exchanged greetings. "Doc tried to save her, but it was no use. She'd bled too much. Do you want to get the body ready for burial?" 

"Yeah, I'll send the mortician over in a while. Your friend... he is a good shot. Straight through both their hearts." 

Andy nodded. "He's the best shot I've ever seen, but he hates guns." 

"Well, I could use a man like him...." 

"He's going back to Bluebonnet with me in a couple days... after Belle's funeral, I imagine. Look, her girls... her daughters... what happens to them now?" 

"Well... odds are we'd have to send them to an orphanage in Minneapolis or maybe one of the other big cities." 

"Mardy is one of the girls' father. If he wants to take them... would anyone be able to stop him?" 

"No. If he wants those girls, I don't see as anyone would try to stop him." 

"Thanks. I'd better get back." 

"Andy, any time you and Mardy want to come to Blue Belle, you're more than welcome here." 

Andy smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Jurgen." He headed back to the hotel and found Tommy and Roger sitting in the dining room all alone. "Where are the women? And Mardy with the girls?" 

"Mardy took the girls up to bed and the women left. Said they were going back to the house." 

Andy sat down and hugged Roger. "I love you, sweet thing. I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier." 

"It's okay. You were right. I was being too.... single-minded. I still do not think Mardy should have forgiven him so quickly, but... I guess I can see why he did." 

"And I can see why you think I'm being too quick to forgive. But I do forgive him," Mardy said as he joined them. "The girls are asleep." He sighed and looked down at the table. "I don't know what to do. I never thought in a million years I'd ever get to be a father. Never wanted to be a father, but now I find out I have a two year old little girl and she's absolutely beautiful and an angel and Scarlet is so adorable.... I don't know what to do." 

Tommy reached over and rubbed a hand down Mardy's back. "They are beautiful girls. If you want... I do not want to rush you, but maybe you and I could raise them together. Not as a couple or anything, but... it is just a suggestion...." 

"You'd be willing to help me with them?" 

"Yes, of course." 

Andy smiled. Roger snuggled against his side. "I could help too. I like children." 

Nodding slowly, Andy added, "And you know I'm willing to do anything to help that I can. The house is certainly big enough." 

Mardy nodded, his eyes filling. "Then we'll take 'em to Bluebonnet with us." He sniffled and shook his head. "Jewel... she... God, it was a lifetime ago. Belle was showing me her place and... I don't really remember much. I'd been drinking..." He looked at Andy. "You remember how much I drank back then. Trying to forget the pain... I do know she and I ended up in bed. I... I'd never been with a woman until then, but... it happened and I guess I got Belle pregnant... well, obviously I got her pregnant. Jewel is my girl. She... she looks like me, doesn't she?" 

Andy smiled. "She looks just like you, 'cept maybe blonder." 

"And littler," Roger added. 

Everyone laughed and Roger blushed. 

Mardy grinned. "Definitely littler. Much smaller." He reached over and patted Roger's hand. "I wanted to tell you and Andy... if you don't forgive Tommy, that's your business... and your right. But respect my choice to forgive him. I do know what I'm doing, contrary to all evidence." 

Roger nodded. "I don't really agree, but I won't say anything again about it." 

"Thank you." 

Andy smiled at all of them and winked at Tommy. Tommy smiled back. 

 

Several days later, they were at the stables, buying a wagon to take the girls back to Bluebonnet when they ran into Carlos and Rafael. Mardy smiled and hugged the two men, jumping back when Rafael's hands got a little too friendly. "Rafael!" 

Rafael giggled. "You are so very beautiful, I cannot help myself." 

Mardy rolled his eyes and smiled. "Rafael, Carlos, these are my friends, Tommy, Roger, and Andy... and my daughters, Scarlet and Jewel." 

Scarlet looked startled but smiled shyly. Jewel held up two fingers and grinned. "I'm this many." 

Carlos chuckled and patted her head. "Wow, you're a big girl, aren't you?" 

Rafael rolled his eyes and looked over the others. His eyes lit up as they fell on Andy. "Hola," he said starting towards Andy. 

Roger stepped closer to Andy and wrapped his arms around Andy's waist. He glared at Rafael. "I am Roger, this is Andy. He's my lover." 

Mardy bit his tongue to keep from laughing and helped the girls into the wagon. "Roger, you wanna run up to the hotel real quick and check to make sure we didn't leave anything behind?" 

"Nein." Roger clung to Andy staring at Rafael. 

Rafael shrugged and wandered over to Mardy again, hugging him and resting his chin on Mardy's shoulder. "You said you stay in Blue Belle." 

"Change of plans, Rafael. I'm heading back to Bluebonnet with my girls, my friends, and my... my Tommy." Mardy met Tommy's eyes and they both smiled softly. 

"But, we decided to move here to be with you...." Rafael pouted and hugged Mardy, nuzzling against his neck. 

Mardy shivered. "Rafael... I'm sorry, but..." 

"Why are you so rude?" Roger asked suddenly, glaring at Rafael. 

Rafael glared back. "Why are you?" 

Mardy stepped between them and held his hand out to Roger. Roger let go of Andy and moved to snuggle against Mardy's side. Mardy whispered, "Hey, I know he's... uhm... well... yeah, but don't worry about it. When we leave, we'll probably never see him again." 

"I don't care, he's being all grabby with what's mine." 

Mardy bit his lip and raised an eyebrow. "I'm yours?" 

"Ja, meinen Mardy." 

Shaking his head, Mardy blushed. "Right... but you have to share me... with Tommy, with my girls...." 

"That's different. You're mine to cuddle, not... that... boy's." 

As he held Roger, he smiled over Roger's shoulder at Andy. Andy shrugged at him. "Rog, you'll always be my friend, regardless of what Rafael does. Besides, you and him... you're... well..." Mardy trailed off, instinctively knowing that Roger wouldn't like being told how similar he and Rafael were. 

"Like... how you say... apples and grapes?" 

"Actually the saying is apples and oranges, but no. That's not what I was thinking." Mardy shook his head, stepping out of Roger's embrace. "Andy, will you run up to the hotel and make one last check to make sure we got everything?" 

"Sure." Andy smiled and chuckled. 

Rafael perked up and smirked at Roger. "I would be happy to go with you, Andy." 

Roger glared. "Nein. He is my lover... I will go with." 

Mardy rolled his eyes and let go of Roger. He turned to Rafael when Andy and Roger were gone and shook his head. "Must you be so antagonistic?" 

Rafael giggled and hugged Mardy. "Si." 

Mardy sighed. "Look, we're going to be leaving any minute now. I think you'd both like it here in Blue Belle, but Bluebonnet's not the place for you." 

Rafael frowned and stepped back, moving to Carlos' arms. "You do not want me around?" 

"No, it's not that, Rafael... it's just that Texans don't really like... I mean..." 

Carlos petted Rafael's hair and nodded at Mardy. "Little one, we cannot move to Texas. It is too close to Mexico for one. For another, Texans do not like anyone who speaks Spanish." 

Mardy nodded and stepped forward, stroking Rafael's hair. "It's unfortunate, but true, Rafael. I'm sorry." 

Rafael sniffed and hugged Mardy. "But I want to go with you... what if we didn't speak Español? We can speak good Ingles." 

Raising an eyebrow, Carlos sighed. "We just arrive up here, Rafa. Now you say you want to head back South? Why?" 

"To be with Mardy, of course." Rafael looked at Carlos like he was stupid. 

"Am I not enough for you anymore?" 

"Don't say that. You know you are... but I've never had friends. Papa never let me have any friends." 

Mardy bit his lip and looked back at Tommy, who smiled. Tommy said, "It looks like we've picked up more people." 

Mardy grinned and crossed to Tommy, kissing him softly. "Thank you," Mardy whispered. 

"Bluebonnet is more than big enough.... and maybe we can force Agassi to leave?" Tommy perked up at that thought. 

Mardy grinned. "We'll try, that's for sure." He turned back to Rafael and Carlos. "If you want to come with, you're welcome to. Just keep in mind that the people in Bluebonnet may not be too happy about having Spaniards in our town. Andy will keep anyone from hurting you." 

Carlos raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" 

"Yeah. If you want." 

Rafael beamed and looked hopefully up at Carlos. Carlos sighed and nodded slowly. "We will go with." 

"Great. Well, let's get going to the hotel and pick up Andy and Roger." Mardy climbed into the wagon and took his seat at the reins. Scarlet and Jewel snuggled against his side as Tommy rode beside them on Diavolo. He was the only horse they'd agreed wouldn't pull the wagon because he was too temperamental. 

They picked up Andy and Roger at the hotel. Roger glared at Rafael then looked at Mardy. "Why is he here?" 

"He and Carlos are going with us to Bluebonnet. I know you don't want that Rog, but you don't get to decide." Mardy reached back and patted Roger's arm. 

Roger pouted and sat back against Andy. Andy wrapped his arm around Roger's shoulders and held him close. Mardy could overhear Andy saying, "Look, I know you're not happy about this, but he's right. You don't get to decide. Even if Mardy hadn't agreed to let them travel with us, they could've come to Bluebonnet whenever they wanted to." 

"I don't see why that Rafael has to hang all over Mardy." 

Tommy rode up beside Mardy and smiled. "Well, at least he's not still hating me, ja?" 

Mardy chuckled and leaned over, kissing Tommy briefly before concentrating on driving the wagon. "That's the way. See the silver lining." 

Tommy grinned and rode ahead, catching up with Carlos and Rafael. Scarlet looked up at Mardy and tilted her head to the side. "Are you my daddy now too?" 

"Yeah, if you'll have me?" 

Scarlet beamed and nodded. "I always wanted to have a daddy." 

"Well, now you've got one. You've both got one," Mardy said, wrapping his arm around both girls' shoulders and pulling them closer. 

 

Andy sighed as night fell. They had been on the trail two days and they'd covered half the distance they could've covered without the girls. He didn't deny Mardy the right to have his children, but he was anxious to get back to Bluebonnet and have Roger in his bed again. 

He rolled his eyes as Roger and Rafael got into yet another argument over some stupid little thing. He thought it was who going to cook tonight, but he hadn't really been paying attention. 

He glanced over at Carlos and by tacit agreement, they both grabbed their lover and pulled them away from one another. "Rogi, shush. Maybe you and Rafa should just take a break from always fighting... come for a walk with me." He stood up and pulled Roger to his feet. Holding hands they wandered out towards a grove of trees. "Sweet thing, I realize you're... I dunno, jealous of Rafa, but really, you and him should at least try to be friends. Mardy likes you both, but I'm sure he likes you more." 

"No, he doesn't. He's mad at me 'cause I didn't forgive Tommy." 

"Sweet thing, he's not mad at you. He's not. He understands that just 'cause he's forgiven Tommy, you don't necessarily have to." Andy hugged Roger lightly. "Baby, you're one of the reasons he is as stable as he is now. He's not going to be mad at you." 

Roger turned and clung to Andy. "I just want things back the way they were before." 

"I know you do, sweet thing. We all do." Andy stroked Roger's hair and nuzzled his neck. "But things are different now. We have to adjust and move with it." 

"I don't want to!" 

"Roger, you're being childish. I know you think that Mardy belongs to you for some reason but he doesn't! He belongs to himself and to his children... and to Tommy." Andy moved away. "If anything, you should be all clingy and jealous with me!" He sighed and shook his head. 

"I... I don't want him near you." 

"No, but you're not getting all crazy jealous and angry when he looks at me, just when he looks at Mardy." 

Roger frowned and moved into Andy's arms, hugging him tightly. "I'm sorry. I'll stop. I love you and just you." 

"I know that, it just bugs me that you're so jealous of the things that have to do with Mardy." 

"He's just... he's my friend and..." 

"And you don't want to share him, yeah. I get that. But you have to share him. You have to share him with me, with Tommy, with his girls and with Rafael and Carlos. I'm sorry, but you do have to." 

"I know. I'm sorry. I'll try to stop being jealous." 

"Good. If you're going to be jealous, I'd rather you just be jealous with me." Andy smiled and kissed Roger deeply. "Now, let's get back to the campfire. I'm hungry and hopefully, someone will have made food." 

Roger pouted, but followed Andy back to the camp anyhow. Andy smiled at Mardy who raised an eyebrow. Andy shrugged by way of answer and pulled Roger against his side as he sat down. Roger snuggled in and glared at Rafael across the fire. 

Mardy handed Roger and Andy each plates. "Just beans and cornbread, but it's edible." He shrugged and went back to his girls and Tommy. Andy smiled as he watched the four of them huddle together, eating quietly. 

He took a deep breath and leaned back, looking up at the stars. 

"What's up, Andy?" Mardy asked. 

"Just thinking." He shook himself and ate his food. Rafael bounded to his feet and gathered all of their plates and forks. He smiled at Rafael and handed over his plate. 

Mardy stood up and gathered his girls into his arms. "I'm gonna lay them down in the wagon. Tommy and I'll take first watch if you others want to sleep." 

Andy nodded and wrapped his arm around Roger's waist, pulling him towards their bedrolls. He snuggled down, pulling Roger against him. Roger smiled and snuggled against him. "Ich liebe dich," Roger muttered before starting to snore softly. 

Andy smiled and kissed Roger's forehead. "I love you, too, sweet thing, more than anything else in the world."


	14. Chaos Erupts

Roger looked up from reading a book. Rafael was clinging to Mardy _again_. He watched as the Spaniard leaned up and kissed Mardy, smiling to himself when Mardy pushed Rafael away. At least he wasn't the only one Mardy was pushing away. 

Roger set his book aside and crawled away from Andy. "Mardy?" he asked softly. 

Rafael shot him an angry glare, but Roger easily ignored the younger man. Mardy lifted an eyebrow. "What's going on, Roger?" 

"Can I talk to you alone?" 

"Of course." Mardy stood up, then held his hand out to Roger. He pulled Roger to his feet and led the way away from the campfire. "What's up?" 

"I... you are mad at me." 

"No, I'm not... Rogi, I'm not mad at you. Why would you think I'm mad at you?" 

"Because... you do not spend time with me on trip." 

"I have two children and Tommy to take care of. I'm sorry I haven't been spending a lot of time with you, but my girls... they have to come first." 

"I know that. But... you ran away from me." 

"I didn't run from you. I ran from Tommy." 

"You do not love me." 

"What? Roger, where are you getting this crazy idea?" 

"You like Rafael better than me." 

Mardy blinked and shook his head. "What makes you think that?" 

"You do not push him away when he hugs you." 

"Yes, I do, but only when he gropes me. Roger, I haven't pushed you away either. You haven't hugged me lately... and I've been so busy with the girls I didn't think about hugging you." Mardy stopped and hugged Roger tightly. "You're still my friend, Rog. One of my best friends." Mardy tilted his head and kissed Roger's cheek. "I don't like Rafa better than you, he's just... he's not mad at me for forgiving Tommy and you are. So maybe right now I'm a little bit worried that you won't forgive me." 

Roger hugged Mardy back and shook his head. "Not mad... just don't understand. Starting to though." He pulled back and met Mardy's gaze. "You love him and you'd forgive him almost anything right?" 

Mardy nodded, his eyes filling. "I know he hurt me... and by hurting me, he hurt Andy which hurt you... but I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. I can't do that if I'm not willing to forgive him." 

Roger nodded, sniffling. "If I forgive him, will you be my friend?" 

Mardy sighed and wiped at his eyes. "Roger, I'm your friend regardless. You should forgive him when you're ready to forgive him. I love you anyhow. You're so sweet and gentle... but dammit, stop thinking I'm not your friend, 'cause it's starting to tick me off." 

Nodding again, Roger moved closer and laid his head on Mardy's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I don't want to lose you." 

"You're not going to lose me. Not ever, I swear." Mardy stroked his hand over Roger's back. 

Roger looked over Mardy's shoulder at the sound of a branch cracking. He glared at Rafael and clung even tighter to Mardy. 

Rafael stuck his tongue out and walked forward, wrapping himself around Mardy and pushing Roger out of the way. "Mardy, Carlos wants to head into town with Andy and Tommy. He said you have to take care of me." Rafael smirked at Roger over his shoulder. 

Roger felt his lip move into a pout and looked over as Mardy's girls joined them in the trees. He took a deep breath and smiled at them. They wandered cautiously closer, staring at Rafael as if they weren't quite sure what to make of him. Scarlet tucked her hand into Roger's and smiled up at him. "Unca Rogi, we're hungry." 

Mardy finally pulled away from Rafael and moved closer, lifting Jewel up and setting her on his hip. He wrapped his free arm around Roger's shoulder and started to walk back to the camp. "Well, Uncle Roger is a really good cook, so he can make us some lunch if he doesn't mind?" 

Roger beamed at Mardy and nodded. "I can make lunch." 

Scarlet tugged on Roger's hand. "Can I help? I used to help Mama make lunch for Jewel." 

Rafael moved between Mardy and Roger, snuggling up to Mardy's side. "I am good cook too." 

Mardy blinked and nodded. "I'm sure you are, but it's Roger's turn to cook. You can make lunch tomorrow." 

"Or I could make dinner tonight?" 

Jewel shook her head and pushed Rafael's arm off Mardy's shoulder. "Papa cook." 

Mardy chuckled and kissed her nose. "Actually, Tommy _is_ going to cook tonight." 

Rafael frowned. "Tommy not your papa." 

"Tommy is too," Roger snapped. 

Rafael shook his head. "Nuh uh. Mardy is their papa. Tommy is just... there." 

Roger scowled. "Tommy is their papa! Mardy is their daddy! Tommy and Mardy love each other!" 

"Pfft. If Mardy loves you all so much, why did he run 'way?" 

Mardy raised an eyebrow, but Roger snarled. "'Cause he was scared! But he and Tommy worked it out! They love each other and Mardy loves Andy and me too!" 

"He ran away from you. How much can he love you if he ran away from you?" 

Roger started to answer, then stopped and looked at Mardy. "You love me, right?" 

"Roger, I do love you. I ran away... well, you're right. I was scared, 'cause I didn't think Tommy loved me the same way or as much as I love him. I wasn't running from you or Andy though. Just from Tommy... and maybe from myself." He set Jewel down and kissed the top of her head. He cupped Roger's face in his hands and leaned in close, pressing a soft, friendly kiss to Roger's lips. "I love you, and I love Andy. You're both my best friends and you mean the world to me. While I was gone, I wanted to be back with you, because you holding me always makes me feel better." 

He kissed Roger again, then turned to Rafael. "You need to stop this. Trying to come between me and Rogi and Andy and Tommy... I'm not yours. I've never been and will never be yours. I adore you... you're sweet and cute, but you're too forward. Sex is not on my agenda, not anytime soon, but you don't respect that." He cupped Rafael's face in his hands and looked into his eyes. "I want you and Carlos to be a part of my life, but you need to respect my friends and the other people in my life. Can you do that?" 

Rafael's eyes filled and he nodded. 

Mardy hugged him and kissed his forehead. "Good." He turned back and held his hand out to Roger. "C'mere. I think you two would be good friends, if only you'd stop fighting with each other. So, you two stay out here and either have it out or talk it out or whatever, but don't come back to camp for a while." 

Roger watched as Mardy lifted Jewel onto his shoulders and walked back towards camp, Scarlet's hand tucked into his. He turned to gaze warily at Rafael. 

Rafael sniffled and sat down. "I'm sorry," he said, looking like a child. Roger frowned and knelt next to the younger man. He awkwardly patted Rafael's shoulder. "I did not mean to be so... possessive but many men have hurt me, yet Mardy... he does not. He lets me touch him and he does not try to touch me back..." 

Roger nodded and sat down. "Mardy is very sweet. He would not hurt anyone. He does not have it in him to hurt someone unless they truly deserve it." 

Still sniffling, Rafael scooted closer to Roger. "I did not mean to try to take him from you. It... well, you have your Andy and Tommy... I only have Carlos and no one else." 

"Well... you can't have Mardy. He's mine. But... maybe I could share him with you. Sometimes. Maybe." Roger frowned. 

Rafael scooted even closer. "Could you and I maybe friends? I never had friend my age before." 

"I'm eighteen," Roger said with a sigh. 

"Really? You're that old?" Rafael blinked and wiped at his eyes. 

"I'm not old. I'm just not as young as you. How old are you, anyhow?" 

"I am... dieciséis." Rafael nodded slowly, sniffling. 

"That is how old? I do not speak Spanish." 

"Uhm, I believe it is sixteen." 

"Hmmmm, I am older." Roger smiled and stood up, brushing his pants off. "We should go back to camp so I can make lunch for Mardy and the girls." 

Rafael nodded, climbing slowly to his feet. He followed slowly behind Roger. 

 

Mardy smiled as his girls sat brushing each other's hair. He stirred the stew he had cooking and glanced up as Roger came walking through the trees and sat down. Roger frowned at him. "I was going to make lunch." 

"Well, I thought you and Rafa would take longer and I don't want my girls going hungry. I'll make you a deal, you can take Tommy's turn at dinner." Mardy winked. "After all, none of us wants to eat Tommy's cooking, do we?" 

Roger smiled and blushed. "No. I'll make dinner." 

Mardy felt his smile slip away as Rafael wandered over to the fire and sat down across from them. "Rafa, are you okay?" 

"Si, I fine," Rafael replied, chewing on his lower lip. 

"Then why do you look so sad?" 

"Nada." 

"No. It's something. What's wrong, Rafa?" 

"Nada. I fine. Leave me be." 

"Rafa...." Mardy sighed and stood up. "Roger, watch the girls. Rafa, come with me. Now." 

Rafael followed Mardy slowly and stood back from him when Mardy stopped. "Rafael, tell me what's going on." 

"Nothing, Mardy." 

"That's bullshit and you know it. Just tell me what's going on. What did Roger say to you to make you not even come near me?" 

"Nada." Rafael looked down at the ground and kicked at a clump of dirt. "I am... child. He not want be my friend." 

Mardy sighed and stepped closer, pulling Rafael into his arms. He hugged him tightly, whispering, "Then it's his loss. You're young, yeah, but that's okay too. Rafa, no matter what he says, I'm still your friend. I just wish you'd stop trying to get in my pants." 

Rafael let out a watery giggle and hugged Mardy tightly. "No one ever want to be my friend unless sex involved, until Carlos. I am sexy, he says that why." 

"You're very sexy. But I don't want sex from you. When I want sex, I've got Tommy." To himself he though, _And that'll be a long, long time coming, even if I want him so badly I can taste him._

"I know... I just think if you have sex with me you be my friend." 

Mardy shook his head and pulled back a little. "I'm already your friend. We don't need sex to make us friends." 

"Si, I know this now." Rafael sniffled and snuggled against Mardy. "Your girls, I think they do not like me." 

"I'm not real sure they like anyone but me and Tommy right now. They're still scared and nervous. They don't know any of us and they just lost their mama." 

"Tommy is not their papa, so why do they call him papa?" 

Mardy sighed and wrapped his arm around Rafael's shoulders. "Tommy is their papa. At least in their minds. They know that he and I are together and they know he is going to be a part of their lives. So, he's their papa. They call me daddy. It's that easy. He may not be their blood kin, but he is their papa. Just like even though Roger and I aren't related, he's their uncle. And so is Andy... and you could be too, but you have to make the effort to get to know them and try to talk to them." 

"But they do not like me. They will not ever like me." 

"Not if you keep trying to come between me and Tommy they won't." Mardy stroked Rafael's hair and heard Roger call out to him. "C'mon. We've got to get back." 

"Mardy!" Roger screamed. Mardy heard his girls scream too and he ran towards the camp. He stopped short at the sight of a huge dog -- it almost looked like a wolf, but wasn't and Mardy knew wolves -- staring back at him. 

He heard, rather than saw, Rafael pull his gun. "No, Rafa. Look at him. He's got no meat on his bones... he's just hungry." Mardy noticed that Roger had the girls behind him and he smiled, silently thanking Roger for protecting the girls. Roger, Rafael and himself were too big to attack, but the girls were still relatively small. Mardy crept closer to the fire and grabbed the fish he had caught with Andy that morning and tossed it away from the campfire. It was supposed to be their dinner, but he'd rather feed it to the dog than shoot the poor starving animal. "Go on, now," he said softly, not really wanting to startle the animal. "Go get the fish. It's all yours, pup." 

Mardy heard Roger talking to Rafael and risked looking over his shoulder. He saw Roger holding onto Rafael and the two men were holding the girls behind their backs. He smiled to himself and focused back on the dog. After a short staring contest, the dog turned and walked over to the fish, picking it up and carrying it off. 

Mardy let out the breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding and sank to his knees. He turned as his girls cried out and caught them when they threw themselves into his arms. He hugged them tightly and watched Roger and Rafael hug. He kissed each girl and set them back on their log. He stood, brushing his pants off and walked over, pressing a soft kiss to Rafael's cheek before hugging Roger. "You saved my girls. Thank you, Rogi." 

Roger snuggled close. "I was so scared. I've never been this scared. Ever. I thought it was going to eat us." 

Nodding, Mardy stroked his hand over Roger's back. "You did the right thing calling for me. And you protected my girls." He pulled back and kissed Roger's forehead. "Now sit, 'cause you're shaking like a leaf." 

"So are you," Roger said, smiling slightly. 

"Hell yes I am. And I'll be sitting right with you." Mardy chuckled and pushed Roger back towards the campfire. He smiled as Jewel and Scarlet both climbed into his lap and snuggled against him. "We're all alright, my girls." He met Rafael's gaze and smiled. "We're alright."


	15. Into the Woods

Andy noticed a couple of things as he, Tommy, and Carlos rode back into camp. First was that there was an ugly, skinny dog fast asleep just out of sight of the campfire. Next, he noticed that Roger and Rafael were talking quietly, holding each other's hands. He smiled at that and nudged Carlos, pointing the two men out. 

Carlos grinned and nodded. "I guess you were right. Mardy would force them to stop fighting if we left him alone with them." 

"Wasn't sure if they'd end up killing each other or being friends, but I'm glad they're friends." Andy grinned as they dismounted. He glanced over at Tommy to find the doc staring at Mardy. "Doc?" 

"Ja?" Tommy turned, startled. 

"What's so fascinating about Fishy?" 

"Only everything." Tommy blushed as Andy laughed, causing the group around the campfire to turn to them. Tommy dismounted and handed the reins to his horse over to Andy before heading for the fire. Scarlet and Jewel hopped to their feet and threw themselves at Tommy, hugging his legs. 

"Papa! Papa! There was a big doggie... he was gonna eat us..." Scarlet yelled. 

Jewel clung to Tommy's leg, screaming to be heard over her sister, "Doggie! Doggie! Papa, doggie!" 

Andy chuckled and shook his head, starting for Roger. Roger stood and met him halfway, snuggling against him. "Did the dog scare you, Rog?" 

Roger nodded. "It was ugly, and Mardy was off talking to Rafa and I had to protect the girls, but Mardy came and gave it the fish and it went away." 

Glancing over at Mardy who was snuggled against Tommy's side, Andy raised an eyebrow. "You fed that animal?" 

"He was starving. I had to feed him or he'd just come back looking for food." Mardy smiled as Tommy picked up the girls and went to sit around the fire. "Look, I know I probably shouldn't've given it our fish, but you and I can always catch more fish. That poor dog was starving to death." 

"Always did have too big a heart for your own damn good," Andy muttered, hugging Roger. "Now that animal is hanging around, waiting for you to feed it again." 

"You act like I committed a sin or something, Andy. I just fed a starving animal. Most people would be proud of me." 

"I'm not most people!" 

"No kidding." Mardy joined Tommy and his girls, sighing and grumbling. 

Andy rolled his eyes and leaned down, kissing Roger. "So, what else happened?" 

"Mardy made me and Rafa talk. Did you know he is younger than us?" Roger smiled and pulled Andy with him towards the grove of trees. "He is very sweet and very unsure of himself. I like him, I think. As long as he stops groping Mardy, I could get to like him very much." 

Andy chuckled. "Yeah? He does seem like a sweet kid. I'm glad you and him are at least not fighting anymore." He looked around and smiled. "Why are we in the trees?" 

"Because... I have missed you..." 

"I've been right beside you, sweet thing." 

"Not that... I've missed..." Roger shook his head and blushed. 

"Oh... you missed touching?" 

"Ja." Roger snuggled against Andy and smiled up at him. 

"We should wait... I don't want to take you in the middle of a bunch of trees when anyone can walk in on us." Andy could feel himself softening as Roger pouted at him. 

Roger stepped back, still pouting. He lifted his shirt and tossed it aside, then worked his boots off. "I'm staying naked until you give me what I want." 

"Even though you'd have to parade around in front of Tommy, Mardy, Rafael, Carlos, and the girls?" 

Roger nodded, blushing slightly. "So?" 

"Stay here..." Andy handed over one of his six shooters. "Just in case. If anything comes after you, shoot. Don't bother aiming, I'll come running. If it's someone, rather than something, run!" Andy leaned in and kissed him. "Be right back." 

He turned and headed back to the camp, grabbing a blanket from the pile Mardy was holding. "Thanks, Fishy." He winked and ran back, ignoring the laughter that trailed after him. 

He made his way back to Roger and tossed his naked lover the blanket as he started to strip his clothes off. Roger spread out the blanket, then laid on it, watching Andy undress. "We are..." 

"Yes, we are," Andy said, tossing the last of his clothes away. He dropped to the blanket and covered Roger's body with his own. "Sweet, sweet Roger..." he murmured, kissing Roger deeply. "I love you, sweet thing." 

"I love you," Roger said, groaning as Andy's hands slide up his side and cupped his hips. "I want you." 

"You've got me, sweet thing." Andy lifted Roger's hips a little. He lifted his hand to his mouth, wetting one finger before pressing it into Roger. "Anyway, anywhere, all of the time, I'm yours." 

Roger smiled at the sweet words and rocked back on Andy's finger. "Please, Andy... please... in me now..." 

Andy groaned. After their first night together, they'd been hunting Mardy down so they hadn't done more than suck each other's cocks, but Roger was still so responsive and needy. It was enough to drive Andy to distraction. He positioned himself and pushed in slowly, not wanting to hurt his lover. 

Roger whimpered and pushed back on Andy, rocking his hips in an effort to get Andy to move. Andy bit his lip and started to move within Roger, slow and easy. 

They rocked together slowly, letting the pressure and lust build between them. Andy wrapped his fist around Roger's dick, stroking it in time with their movements, trying to milk every last sensation from both of them. Roger whimpered and writhed under him as he kept the pace slow and even. 

He picked up the pace rocking harder and harder as Roger bucked against him. "Rog... love you, so much..." 

"Love you too..." Roger murmured as he met Andy's every thrust. His back arched up and his entire body tensed as he suddenly let out a scream. 

Andy smiled, then grunted as Roger's muscles tensed on him. He pushed all the way into Roger and continued stroking him as he came in a rush. 

He slumped down on top of Roger, licking at the sweat on his lover's neck. "You okay?" 

Stroking his hands over Andy's sweaty back, Roger replied, "You... you make me feel so..." Roger sighed happily.

"And you make me feel like I could walk on water." Andy lifted his head and kissed Roger softly. "My sweet, sweet Roger. I love you." 

"And I love you," Roger said, blushing slightly. "Will they come looking for us?" 

"Nah, pretty sure they knew what our intentions were when I came running back to you with a blanket." Andy winked and shifted off to the side, pulling Roger into his arms and holding him close. "Want to stay out here for a while?" 

"If you don't mind?" 

"Not at all, sweet thing." Andy smiled as Roger cuddled against him. "Tired?" 

"A little." 

"Sleep, sweet thing. I'll protect you." Andy stroked a hand over Roger's shoulders and closed his own eyes briefly. When he opened them, Roger was snoring softly. He smiled and kept petting his lover.


	16. Home Sweet...

Mardy leaned against Tommy as Roger and Andy wandered back, both looking sated and happy. This was to be their final stop on the trip back home, and on every stop, Roger and Andy had disappeared, either into woods or over a hill or anywhere they could be alone to make love. He sighed softly to himself. He was jealous of Roger and Andy -- more specifically, jealous of their ability to love one another physically without any issues rearing to the front. He could barely sleep next to Tommy without having issues, although he was getting better. He snuggled closer as Tommy kissed his neck. "What is wrong, Mardy?" 

"Nothing, Hasi, I'm just... I'm sorry." 

"For?" 

"Because I can't... let you..." Mardy sighed and let his thought trail off. 

Tommy kissed his cheek and hugged him. "That does not matter to me. All that matters is we're together. We don't have to fall into bed to know that we love each other. Yes, I am a little jealous of Andy and Roger that they are constantly making love to one another. But you love me and I love you and we'll get there. I don't care if it takes ten years, I'm willing to wait for you." 

Mardy smiled and snuggled as close as he could without actually crawling inside Tommy's body. "Thank you, my love." 

Tommy smiled back and stroked his hand over Mardy's back. Mardy turned his head and grabbed Tommy's chin, forcing the German to look at him. "I do love you." 

"Mardy, meinen Schatzchen, I know this. I do not need you to show me you love me for me to know that you do." Tommy leaned forward, giving Mardy enough time to back away if he got nervous, and kissed him softly. "All I ask is that you let me kiss you on occasion and that you let me hold you while we sleep. For now, that's more than enough." 

Mardy blushed and nodded. He sighed and turned his attention to Rafael who was gesturing wildly as he told a story to the girls. 

Scarlet and Jewel were staring up at Rafael with wide, bright eyes, enjoying the telling of the story as much as the story itself. Jewel giggled when Roger sat next to her and pulled her into his lap, tickling her chin. She burrowed closer, her attention still mostly focused on Rafael. 

Mardy had noticed a considerable difference in the way Roger and Rafael treated each other, and it was most obvious when the entire group was together like this. Instead of trying to get everyone's attention focused on him as he'd done in the early days of their trip home, Roger was content to just hold the girls and let Rafael be the center of attention. When Rafael finished his story, Roger would take the girls and put them to bed. Mardy wasn't sure this was the best idea, but it worked for them. When they got back to Bluebonnet, it had been agreed upon that Tommy, Mardy and the girls would take over the house while Roger, Andy, Carlos and Rafael lived at the hotel until new houses could be built, or additions built onto the current building. 

He laid his head on Tommy's shoulder as Rafael finished his story up. He smiled as Roger stood and moved towards the wagon to tuck the girls into bed. After Roger came back to get Scarlet, Mardy stood with Tommy and they both headed for the wagon. They kissed the girls goodnight, then went back to the campfire. Roger and Andy were snuggled under their blankets as were Carlos and Rafael. Mardy reached over and poured a cup of coffee, glancing back at Tommy questioningly. 

Tommy shook his head and held his arms open. Mardy set the coffee down and moved silently into Tommy's arms. "What is the matter, meinen Schatzchen?" 

Mardy sighed and shrugged. "I was just thinking about how things are going to be when we get back to Bluebonnet. These last few weeks have been so harrowing... but when we get back to town... Marat will be there. He's a huge part of your life." 

"He is. Mardy, I can't lie and say I don't have any feelings for him. He is my ex-lover. He will be my friend for always. He helped to save me and Roger in more ways than just saving me from Patrick. But you are the man I love and the man I intend to spend the rest of my life with." 

Mardy nodded and leaned against Tommy. "I know this. I'm just... I guess I'm a bit worried about what he might say." 

"Meinen Schatzchen, he encouraged me to come after you. He does not want to come between us, I promise you that." 

"He did? He doesn't?" Mardy lifted a hopeful gaze up to Tommy. 

"Ja. He did and he doesn't. He will always be my friend, but I promise you, he is not anything more than that to me." 

Mardy smiled and stood up. "C'mon. Let's go lay down with our girls." 

 

The next night they arrived in Bluebonnet to find a small crowd gathered in front of Mardy's hotel. He handed the reins over to Carlos and slid from the wagon, heading for the crowd.

Andy slipped off Diavolo's back and headed after Mardy. He knew Mardy was stronger and more sure of himself, and he wasn't going to allow anyone to undermine that confidence. He stepped in behind Mardy and overheard a couple of the crowd saying that Lleyton was being held against his will. He met Mardy's gaze and they both turned to the women. Andy knew he should know their names, but it escaped him. All he knew for sure was her and her sister were easily the most annoying people he'd ever met. "Miss Williams, do you know who's got Lleyton?" 

"Of course not. How dare you say we're involved?!" 

Andy looked at Mardy who was fighting back a smirk. He just rolled his eyes and made his way through the crowd, knowing Mardy would be right behind him. He stopped at the sight of Marat blocking the doors. "Marat?" 

Marat's head snapped up and he stared blindly for a moment before his eyes focused. "Andy! Mardy..." He climbed to his feet and took one long stride towards them. His gaze was focused on Mardy, but he spoke to Andy, saying, "That asshole, Agassi, has taken Lleyton and another man hostage. The other man... I do not know him... he is a farmer apparently? Gaston is I think his name... Anyhow, he has also taken my little sister. Please, you must help her... help them..." 

_Little sister?_ Andy thought, glancing over at Mardy. 

Mardy shook his head and turned to Marat. "We'll help. You get the crowd back." He spun to face Andy and narrowed his eyes. "No heroics. From either of us." 

Andy nodded. "I'll take the upstairs. You take the front. Give me five minutes, okay?" 

Mardy nodded and readied his guns. Andy gave him a hard look, then ran around the side of the building, heading for the stairs that led to the second floor. Few people knew they actually led to a door, because they looked like they headed up to the roof. He let himself in quietly, avoiding the squeaky floorboard right in front of the door and crept through the room and into the hallway. He snuck down the stairs and saw Lleyton and Gaston tied together against one of the windows. He noticed a beautiful blonde girl, sitting next to them, her hands behind her back. He cursed to himself, hating Andre more than he'd ever hated him before. 

"About time you showed up, Sheriff." 

Andy spun around, pissed off that Andre had gotten the drop on him. "Asshole." 

Andre cocked an eyebrow and held his gun out in front of him. "Now now, Sheriff. Don't piss me off." He waved the gun towards his captives and smirked. "Where's the whore?" 

Andy snarled and shook his head. 

"Where's the whore!? Your whore? Claims he owns this place?" 

Andy's eyes widen and he stares behind Andre. "You bastard."


	17. Home

Mardy smiled at Andy over Andre's shoulder and shoved his gun harder against the base of Andre's skull. "Best thing about my place, Agassi? I keep the windows sparkling clean. You can see anything from any window. I saw you sneaking up behind the Sheriff here and knew I could sneak up behind you. Why? Because you're a moron." Mardy nodded towards Andre's prisoners. "Go untie them, Andy." 

Andy scowled. "Didn't we agree no heroics?" 

"Hey, this ain't heroic. This is me being smart for a change." Mardy noticed Andre's finger twitching on his gun and he clucked his tongue. "You pull that trigger, I splatter your brains all over the Sheriff. You may or may not hit him. I guarantee, I won't miss." 

Andre dropped the gun and held his hands up. Mardy smiled and nodded to Andy who pulled out a pair of handcuffs and wrapped them around Andre's wrists. "Always wanted you to be stupid enough to do something where I could arrest you. Didn't think you'd ever do it. Mardy, go grab the doc and have him check over these three. Untie them first while I take care of this scumbag." 

Mardy nodded and watched Andy lead Andre away. Then he rushed over to Lleyton and Gaston, both of whom hugged him the second they were free. He smiled and patted their backs. He untied the girl and smiled at her. "You three stay put, I'm gonna get Tommy in here to check you both over." 

Lleyton shook his head. "Please, mate. I just want some fresh air." 

Mardy wrapped an arm around Lleyton's waist and helped him to stand. He helped the girl cling to Lleyton's side. Then he reached over and helped Gaston up as well, holding them upright as the three of them walked outside. He settled them on the steps and motioned for Tommy to come closer. "They were tied up. I don't know if they're okay, but Andy thought it best if you check 'em over." 

Tommy nodded and started to do just that as Mardy stood. He noticed Marat standing off to one side, watching them carefully. Mardy walked over and held his hand out. "I'm sorry I left you with the burden of telling them I'd gone." 

"It is okay," Marat said, shaking his hand. "I sort of understand. Tell me though, are you and Tommy back together though?" 

"Yeah." Mardy glanced over at Tommy and smiled, unaware of just how visibly in love he was. "Come meet my girls and say hi to Roger. Also, any chance you need help? We brought a couple of guys with us from Montana and one of them was an apprentice." 

Marat raised an eyebrow, but followed Mardy anyhow. "Girls? You like men." 

"Yeah, they're my daughters. Only one is biologically... which is a longer story than I intend to tell right now." Mardy glanced at Marat and smiled slightly. "I'll tell you when there's not as much excitement, okay?" 

"All right," Marat said. They reached the wagon and Mardy watched as Rafael's eyes widened. Mardy recognized the spark of interest and had to fight back a groan. How Carlos put up with Rafael, Mardy was still trying to figure out. He introduced everyone to Marat and watched his daughters' reactions. 

Jewel, he noticed, has sort of a casual affection for everyone. Didn't matter if they seemed like a good guy or not, she liked everyone. Scarlet was definitely the more reserved -- probably seen too much, Mardy had rationalized to himself. 

Both girls were staring at Marat like he was some sort of bug. Interested, but not sure if he'd turn and bite. Mardy grinned at that analogy and helped both girls down. "Roger, I hate to ask, but..." 

Roger smiled. "I will head to the hotel and start some supper for us all." He climbed out of the wagon and hugged Marat. "Marat, I am sorry I kicked you. I was mad that Mardy and Andy were upset, but I know it was not your fault. It was Tommy's fault." He leaned up and kissed Marat's cheek, then led the girls towards the hotel. 

Mardy chuckled. Marat was watching after Roger and the girls. "The little one... she looks like you." 

"She's my biological daughter." Mardy beamed proudly. He knew it, yet he couldn't stop. He turned to Rafael and put a hand on his shoulder. "Rafael here, was an apprentice in Colorado Springs. Any chance you could use help?" 

"I could always use help." Marat narrowed his eyes and looked Rafael over. "He's certainly looks strong enough to manage." He then looked at Carlos. "And you, what do you do? Are you his father?" 

Rafael and Mardy both giggled at that. Carlos scowled. "No, his lover." 

Marat's eyes widened and he looked like he was trying not to laugh. "Oh, I apologize. I.. I didn't realize...." He chuckled, then coughed to cover the sound. 

Carlos rolled his eyes. "Mardy, is there anyone who runs the stables?" 

"No. We've only ever had two horses in town. Andy's and Diavolo. These horses belong to the twins." Mardy patted the three horses that the twins had let Andy, Roger and Tommy borrow. "This guy makes three total for our town." 

"Oh. Well, I could... run the stables, unless someone would object." 

"Sounds about right to me," Andy said, joining them. He reached out and shook hands with Marat. "Your sister is asking for you. Pretty girl." 

"Da," Marat said absently as he started for his sister. 

Andy chuckled. "Okay. Come on, Carlos. I'll show you the stables and help you rub the horses down. Then, I'll take these three out to the ranch and get my horse back." 

"Why you not call your horse by her name?" Rafael asked, tucking his hand through Andy's arm. 

"'Cause she doesn't have a name. Slow as molasses nag. That's what she is. Doesn't deserve a name." 

Mardy laughed and shook his head. "I'm telling you, Snail would be a good name for her... and don't insult her because you know you wouldn't be happy with any other horse." 

"Yeah, bite me, Fishy." Andy looked back over his shoulder and winked as Mardy chuckled. 

Mardy sighed once they were out of view and headed for the hotel. 

 

Marat watched as Carlos and Rafael sat at the same table as Roger, Andy, Tommy and Mardy. He frowned, knowing he no longer belonged with the group and headed over to his sister's side. She's talking to Lleyton, smiling and laughing. He sat down next to her and raised an eyebrow at Lleyton. 

During the weeks that the Sheriff and the rest had been gone, he and Lleyton had become good friends -- good enough friends that he knew that Lleyton preferred women. He just wasn't sure he liked the idea of Lleyton with his baby sister. "Dinara, why are you here?" 

"I told you, I followed you. I've been following you for months." She smiled up at him and hugged him suddenly. "I'm glad you finally decided to stay in one place so I could catch up." 

Marat smiled back and patted her head, the way he used to when they were younger. "I wish I'd known you were coming. I might've been able to protect you better." 

"If you mean from Agassi, mate, no one could've protected us." Lleyton reached out, lightly touching Marat's shoulder. "He's always been mean as a snake, and he wanted revenge on Mardy for never looking twice at him." 

"So, if Mardy hadn't taken off...." Marat trailed off at Lleyton's head shake. 

"If I hadn't taken off, things would've been different." Mardy smiled and set a glass of vodka in front of Marat. "But I did, so things happened as they did. We can't go back and change the past, as much as some of us might like to." His eyes took on a sad note at that before he shook himself and reached his hand out to Dinara. "I'm Mardy Fish. I own this hotel and bar. You're Marat's sister?" 

"Da. Dinara Safina," Dinara said, shaking Mardy's hand with a blush. 

"Nice to meet you." He smiled and clasped his hand on Marat's shoulder. "I understand I have you to thank for Tommy coming after me." 

Marat shook his head. "Nyet. He would've gone anyhow. I may have just... nudged him into making the right decision quicker." 

"Regardless, I know what you gave up. So... thank you." Mardy hesitated for a moment, then leaned over and hugged Marat. He straightened and then headed into the kitchen. 

"As much as I missed him and the Sheriff while they were gone, I can see the time away has gone Mardy a world of good. He's much more... himself," Lleyton remarked with a smile. 

Marat nodded, wondering what could possibly happen next in this supposedly sleepy little town.

 

Andy smiled at something Carlos said, but he hadn't really heard it. He'd been watching Mardy talk to Marat. He glanced over at the doc and noticed Tommy watching just as intently. He smiled and climbed to his feet, heading into the kitchen after Mardy. 

"Hey," he murmured, leaning against the wall. 

Mardy sat at the kitchen table, picking apart a biscuit. "Hi." 

"You're not going to go back to feeling inadequate, are you?" 

Mardy looked up and smiled. "No. Just... seeing Marat with his sister made me want to find my sister." 

"Ah, yeah. I can see that. We can always try to look for her." 

"No. Last time I saw her... well, was in Austin when she came looking for me. She said she never wanted to see me again, and I'm planning on respecting her wishes. I just miss her." 

"You told me you and her were never close." 

"We weren't." Mardy sighed. 

Andy sat down across from him and reached over, placing his hand lightly over Mardy's. "So, basically, what you want is to go back and change what happened?" 

"Yeah. Except... if I hadn't followed that path, I might never have met Tommy... or you and Roger and Carlos and Rafael... and I wouldn't have my girls. I wouldn't give you all up for all the gold in California." 

Andy smiled and stood up, tugging Mardy to his feet. He hugged him tightly and nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. We've got a good life now, Mar, let's stop thinking about the past." 

"Good idea." Mardy kissed Andy's cheek and led the way back into the dining area. They rejoined Roger, Tommy and the others. 

Andy smiled and sat back, listening to this group of friends chatting and discussing mundane things such as who would sleep where and what everyone was planning on doing the next day. It was good to be back home where they all belonged.


End file.
